Isaac on Jewish and Christian Altars - (Fordham Medieval Studies) by Devorah Schoenfeld (Hardcover)

About the Book

Rashi's commentary and the Glossa Ordinaria both developed in the late eleventh and early twelfth century with no known contact between them. Nevertheless, they shared a way of reading text that shaped their interpretations of the near-sacrifice of Isaac. This work compares them both with each other and their respective sources to show their similarity.

Book Synopsis

Devorah Schoenfeld's new work offers an in-depth examination of two of the most influential Christian and Jewish Bible commentaries of the High Middle Ages. The Glossa Ordinaria and Rashi's commentary were standard texts for Bible study in the High Middle Ages, and Rashi's influence continues to the present day. Although Rashi's commentary and the Glossa developed at the same time with no known contact between them, they shared a way of reading text that shaped their interpretations of the central religious narrative of the Binding of Isaac. Schoenfeld's text examines each commentary unto itself and offers a detailed comparison, one that illustrates the similarities between Rashi and the Gloss that derive not merely from their shared late antique heritage but also from their common twelfth-century context, and the Jewish-Christian polemic in which they both, implicitly or explicitly, take part.

Review Quotes

"Schoenfeld's book is at the forefront of new thinking about peshat/literal sense in both Jewish and Christian contexts, and she opens up new territory for exploration and comparison."-DEEANA KLEPPER, Boston University

"'Isaac on Jewish and Christian Altars' is a valuable contribution to the study of this fascinating period, its literary productions, and its intellectual landscape." -H-Net Reviews

"This book which argues for a 'typological reading' of the near sacrifice of Isaac by contemporary but isolated Jewish and Christian sources is a significant contribution to medieval biblical scholarship." -Reviews in Religion and Theology

". . . Schoenfeld has opened up rich prospects for further investigation." -Deborah L. Goodwin

About the Author

DEVORAH SCHOENFELD is Assistant Professor of Theology (Judaism) at Loyola University Chicago. Her research is on medieval Bible commentaries and Jewish-Christian relations.