Hybridity in the Fourteenth-Century Esther Poems of Israel Caslari

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Hybridity in the Fourteenth-Century Esther Poems of Israel Caslari Hybridity in the Fourteenth-Century Esther Poems of Israel Caslari by Jaclyn Tzvia Piudik A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto © Copyright by Jaclyn Tzvia Piudik, 2014 Hybridity in the Fourteenth-Century Esther Poems of Israel Caslari Jaclyn Tzvia Piudik Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto 2014 Abstract The Scroll of Esther, one of the quintessential texts of post-exilic Jewish salvation, was particularly beloved in the European Middle Ages, when the narrative served as a model for redemption from persecution and as a reminder of the threat of expulsion which was part of everyday Jewish life. Among its many medieval adaptations is a pair of texts written by Israel ben Joseph Caslari, a fourteenth-century Jewish physician, living in Papal-ruled Avignon. Israel’s retellings of the Purim story are expanded and heavily embellished with material from talmudic and apocryphal sources, medieval medicine and philosophy, and references to popular culture. He composed his first version composed in Judéo-Provençal, the southern French vernacular written in Hebrew characters; the second in Hebrew, not a translation, but an adaptation of its predecessor. As individual works, each is a rich intertextual landscape which offers a view into its socio-religious setting and reflects the meeting and melding of cultural influences. If one considers them together, this encounter becomes even more pronounced: the two versions come into conversation, embodying the tensions of their milieu, and of their author, a Jewish intellectual in a Christian-dominated society. ii The texts are a tapestry of ancient religious legacy and medieval thought, woven from threads of Jewish tradition and secular learning, from medieval belletristic conventions, midrashic literature and medical writings. This dissertation explores issues of biculturalism and religious identity through Israel’s compositional strategies and his modifications to the biblical story. It considers first the notion of hybridity in the works through the convergence of their author’s professional and religious concerns, in his treatment of gender and language as a representation of cultural boundaries and their transgression. It then examines the multiplicity of literary genres, both religious and secular, that inhabit and inform the texts, while engaging the question of their audiences as the Hebrew version prescribes. iii Acknowledgments To thank all of those who have in some way been a part of this dissertation would take many pages! I have been fortunate in finding mentors and teachers, friends, colleagues and supports at every turn. I am grateful to each and every individual who has been with me on this journey and here extend my thanks to the most significant of these. My doctoral supervisor, Professor Jill Ross, for her wisdom and guidance, her unwavering commitment to this project and for nurturing my growth as a scholar for so many years. My dissertation and defense committee: Professor Dorothea Kullmann, Professor Mark Meyerson and Professor Hindy Najman, who were a font of knowledge and inspiration, and without whose direction this thesis could not have been written; Professor Libby Garshowitz for her ongoing generosity, her love of learning and her passion for teaching; Professor David Wacks, my external reader, for his insightful comments and invaluable suggestions. The Centre for Medieval Studies and the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto, whose support of my research was indispensible and whose faculty and staff were always attentive and professional. Nellie Perret and Victoria Littman, whose compassionate mentoring and steady encouragement helped me to navigate the many challenges of being a graduate student. The staff of the PIMS (Pontifical Institute for Medieval Studies) Library, who watched this dissertation unfold on an almost daily basis, for assisting with my academic research and providing me with a professional and convivial work environment. My peers, partners, colleagues in various graduate working groups for providing structure, stability and camaraderie at times when they were most needed. The myriad of friends who gave me a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, sage advice and an infinite supply of kindness. My deepest gratitude to Laura Wiseman, Noelle H.K. Lee, Judy Farquharson and Giselle Gos, whose friendship and belief in me helped me to persevere. iv Ruth Harvey for her warmth, erudition and generosity…and our feline family: Galahad, Polydactyl, Quintus, Balthazar, Phoebe and Tasha. My poetry community and my spiritual community for nourishing my creativity and faith. Peter Ykelenstam, for his love, good humor and patience during the intensive final year of this work. Laurie Savlov, who has been a pillar of strength and whose support and dedication - from the moment I began my research until the last word was written and beyond - has been instrumental in helping me to bring this project to fruition. v Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vi List of Appendices .......................................................................................................... viii Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 1 Historical Context ....................................................................................................... 15 Georaphical Notes .................................................................................................. 15 General Map of the Region .................................................................................... 17 Biographical Notes on the Author ......................................................................... 17 Historical Background. .......................................................................................... 21 Israel’s World......................................................................................................... 24 Review of Scholarship ................................................................................................ 28 Limitations of the Present Study ................................................................................. 31 On the Texts Used for the Present Study .................................................................... 32 Notes on Transcription and Transliteration ................................................................ 34 Translation .............................................................................................................. 34 Lineation ................................................................................................................ 34 Transliteration ......................................................................................................... 34 The Manuscripts.......................................................................................................... 35 Hebrew ................................................................................................................... 35 Ms. Bodleian heb. e. 10. .................................................................................... 35 Ms. HUC 396 ..................................................................................................... 40 Judéo-Provençal ..................................................................................................... 41 Ms. JTS 3740 .................................................................................................... 41 Chapter One Medicine, Midrash and Miracles ...................................................................................... 47 The State of Medicine and Israel’s Milieu .................................................................. 51 Israel, Author and Physician ....................................................................................... 56 Miracles....................................................................................................................... 63 Medicine and Midrash in Israel’s Texts ...................................................................... 73 vi Chapter Two Esther's Issues [or The Blood of Others] ........................................................................... 91 Chapter Three We Are What We Speak: Language and Identity ........................................................... 143 Chapter Four A Poem by Many Other Names: On the Mixing of Genres ............................................ 191 Piyyut (Liturgical or Sacred Poetry) ......................................................................... 201 Wisdom Literature .................................................................................................... 205 Nova, Fabliau, Romance ........................................................................................... 224 Parody ......................................................................................................................
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