Sara Offenberg | Ben Gurion University of the Negev (original) (raw)

Books by Sara Offenberg

מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב... more מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב. כתב העת נכלל ברשימת כתבי העת המוכרים על ידי ות"ת, הוועדה לתכנון ותקצוב של המועצה להשכלה גבוהה.כתב העת המתפרסם בפורמט מקוון (Open-Access), נועד לספק במה לפרסום מאמרים מקוריים בתחומי האמנות והתרבות החזותית, מכל תקופה, נושא, או מדיה. בנוסף כולל כתב העת מדור ביקורת

מבטים, 2022

מבטים: כתב עת לתרבות חזותית מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויו... more מבטים: כתב עת לתרבות חזותית
מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן -גוריון בנגב. כתב העת המתפרסם בפורמט מקוון (Open-Access) נועד לספק במה לפרסום מאמרים מקוריים בתחומי האמנות והתרבות החזותית, מכל תקופה, נושא, או מדיה. בנוסף כולל כתב העת מדור ביקורת תערוכות ומדור ביקורת ספרי עיון. ISSN: 2710-480X https://in.bgu.ac.il/humsos/art/Pages/mabatim.aspx

Polemical and Exegetical Polarities in Medieval Jewish Cultures Studies in Honour of Daniel J. Lasker, eds. Ehud Krinis, Nabih Bashir, Sara Offenberg, and Shalom Sadik, De Gruyter 2021, 2021

In his academic career, that by now spans six decades, Daniel J. Lasker distinguished himself by ... more In his academic career, that by now spans six decades, Daniel J. Lasker distinguished himself by the wide range of his scholarly interests. In the field of Jewish theology and philosophy he contributed significantly to the study of Rabbinic as well as Karaite authors. In the field of Jewish polemics his studies explore Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew texts, analyzing them in the context of their Christian and Muslim backgrounds. His contributions refer to a wide variety of authors who lived from the 9th century to the 18th century and beyond, in the Muslim East, in Muslim and Christian parts of the Mediterranean Sea, and in west and east Europe.
This Festschrift for Daniel J. Lasker consists of four parts. The first highlights his academic career and scholarly achievements. In the three other parts, colleagues and students of Daniel J. Lasker offer their own findings and insights in topics strongly connected to his studies, namely, intersections of Jewish theology and Biblical exegesis with the Islamic and Christian cultures, as well as Jewish-Muslim and Jewish-Christian relations. Thus, this wide-scoped and rich volume offers significant contributions to a variety of topics in Jewish Studies.

This Festschrift for Daniel J. Lasker, a renowned scholar of Rabbinic and Karaite theology and Je... more This Festschrift for Daniel J. Lasker, a renowned scholar of Rabbinic and Karaite theology and Jewish polemical literature, brings together various scholars in the field of Jewish Thought, who are presenting new findings in their relevant research area. The key topics of this volume are intersections of Jewish theology and Biblical exegesis with the Islamicate and Christian cultures, as well as Jewish-Muslim and Jewish-Christian relations.

The exhibition Keep It Light addresses the end of life, a painful topic that for many is a waters... more The exhibition Keep It Light addresses the end of life, a painful topic that for many is a watershed in the topography of the life cycle. Despite the seriousness and gravity of the subject, this exhibition focuses on black humor, irony and absurdity. Through the display of vessels for memorial and remembrance candles created with unusual and innovative perspectives, the exhibition aims to surprise and stimulate the viewer to reconsider the place of death within the life cycle, the mourning process and the religious customs associated with each.

This study is designed to illuminate the reflection of esoteric ideas in Hebrew illuminated manus... more This study is designed to illuminate the reflection of esoteric ideas in Hebrew illuminated manuscripts from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century in Ashkenaz (German lands), with a focus on images of knights and Ezekiel’s vision of the divine Chariot. It is divided into three parts according to manuscript genres: Prayer books, Masoretic Bibles, and a Passover Haggadah. It provides a comprehensive description of texts and illuminations concerned with the ideas of the Hekhalot literature and two principal esoteric traditions in Ashkenaz: the Qalonymus family – Rabbi Judah the Pious (d. 1217) and his student Rabbi Eleazar of Worms, as well as Rabbi Judah’s grandson, Rabbi Eleazar ben Moshe the preacher; and Rabbi Nehemiah ben Shlomo Troestlin, the Prophet from Erfurt, active in the first third of the thirteenth century. The book examines the images and the texts together in conjunction with military history. The novelty of this study is in a holistic reappraisal of the manner in which we think about illustration in connection with text, the Christian milieu, and the possible meaning the images had for the patron.
http://shop.btpubservices.com/Title/9781933379821

This volume offers an interdisciplinary study of mystical ideas applied in the texts and images o... more This volume offers an interdisciplinary study of mystical ideas applied in the texts and images of the North French Hebrew Illuminated Miscellany copied around 1280. This book offers an inquiry into a series of full-page illuminated scenes and their relation to piyyut commentary and the ideas of Hasidei Ashkenaz. At the heart of the book is a study of a text concerning gematriot, which is a shorter version of Sefer Gematriot of Rabbi Judah the Pious, and this version is published here for the first time. In addition to an analysis of mystical traditions, this study discusses issues of Jewish-Christian polemics that are reflected in the texts and illuminations. It offers a new understanding of the cultural exchange between different Jewish communities, and the transmission of knowledge between Hekhalot literature, Hasidei Ashkenaz, and this north French manuscript.
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=19212&CollID=27&NStart=11639"

Papers by Sara Offenberg

Religions, 2024

The persistence of anti-Jewish and antisemitic stereotypes throughout history, from medieval time... more The persistence of anti-Jewish and antisemitic stereotypes throughout history, from medieval times to the present, reveals the enduring power of visual and cultural narratives in shaping public perceptions of Jews. This paper examines how Yvan Attal’s film Ils sont partout effectively satirizes these stereotypes, exposing their absurdity and the dangers of such ingrained prejudices. By connecting modern satire to historical instances of antisemitism, this study emphasizes the necessity of challenging and critically analyzing these harmful depictions. While the forms of anti-Jewish and antisemitism evolve over time, the underlying biases remain disturbingly consistent across cultures and eras.

Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures, 2018

This issue of Interfaces explores the question of how Jewish and Christian authors in pre-modern ... more This issue of Interfaces explores the question of how Jewish and Christian authors in pre-modern Latin Europe thought and wrote about some of the animals mentioned in the Bible. To them, thinking about animals was a way of thinking about what it means to be human, to perceive the world, and to worship God and his creation. Animals' nature, animals' actions and animals' virtues or shortcomings were used as symbols and metaphors for describing human behavior, human desires, human abilities and disabilities, and positive or negative inclinations or traits of character.Both Christian and Jewish medieval and early modern scholars wondered about how they could possibly delve into the deeper layers of meaning they assumed any textual or extra-textual animal to convey. Not surprisingly, they often had to deal with the fact that a specific animal was of interest to members of both religious communities. A comparison between Jewish and Christian ways of reading and interpreting bi...

This is the introduction to a new paper. Please contact us, if you are interested in receiving a ... more This is the introduction to a new paper. Please contact us, if you are interested in receiving a PDF of the entire article: gal.sofer1@gmail.com, offenbergs@gmail.com

This paper analyses a micrography in a 1304 Ashkenazi Hebrew biblical manuscript housed at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF), depicting four figures holding an object. The manuscript’s noteworthy feature is that it is entirely adorned with micrography, and the text and images are intricately intertwined. Thus, any attempt to understand the Masoretic text necessitates an examination of the micrography decoration. While previous research has primarily focused on cataloguing and describing the manuscript, little has been done to explore its artistic and textual design. Therefore, this paper aims to fill this gap by delving into the significance of the iconography of these four figures, and discussing the possible meaning of this decorative element for the manuscript’s patron. We argue that these figures are associated with the practice of catoptromancy, which was prevalent among Jews and Christians during the Middle Ages. This micrography serves as a visual critique of the false prophets and magicians discussed in the book of Jeremiah.
גל סופר ושרה אופנברג, "'וְאַתֶּם אַל תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל נְבִיאֵיכֶם וְאֶל קֹסְמֵיכֶם': שרי ביצה וכוס בכ"י הספרייה הלאומית בפריז 9", מדעי היהדות 59 (2024), עמ' 20-1.

מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב... more מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב.
כתב העת נכלל ברשימת כתבי העת המוכרים על ידי ות"ת, הוועדה לתכנון ותקצוב של המועצה להשכלה גבוהה.
כתב העת המתפרסם בפורמט מקוון (Open-Access), נועד לספק במה לפרסום מאמרים מקוריים בתחומי האמנות והתרבות החזותית, מכל תקופה, נושא, או מדיה. בנוסף כולל כתב העת מדור ביקורת תערוכות ומדור ביקורת ספרי עיון. הצעות למאמרים ניתן לשלוח לכתובת הדוא״ל:
mabatim.arts@gmail.com

This is the introduction to a new paper. Please contact me, if you are interested in receiving a ... more This is the introduction to a new paper. Please contact me, if you are interested in receiving a PDF of the entire article: offenbergs@gmail.com

This chapter deals with the way that the chivalric urban space is manifested in Hebrew illuminated manuscripts of different genres of literary works from the fourteenth- to late fifteenth-century German lands and Italy. I explore the meanings of coats of arms, knights, and other
features of warfare borrowed from Christian society, touching on the dissonance between art and reality. Going into detail regarding the chivalric displays allows us to broaden our understanding of the role these images played vis-à-vis the Jewish patrons who commissioned them and of the purpose for which they were ordered. I begin with the realia of
Jews bearing arms and Jewish presence in fight books from Germany and then turn to the imagined identities, focusing on three case studies from Hebrew illuminated manuscripts.

De Gruyter eBooks, Dec 16, 2019

De Gruyter eBooks, Aug 9, 2021

In manywritten and artistic Christian sources, we find an anti-Jewish portrayalof an alleged Jewi... more In manywritten and artistic Christian sources, we find an anti-Jewish portrayalof an alleged Jewish costume of desecratingt he Host or blood libels. The stories and images are so common that we find, for example, the story of Simon of Trent being useda sajoke in aF acebook postf rom April 3, 2015,w ishing a "Happy Passover." Following Miri Rubin'sm ethodology,¹ where she ties togetherb lood libels and accusations of host desecration in texts,i mages, and drama,i nt his paper Iwish to further discuss the issue of "staging" or the public sphere of the accusations, with af ocus on images and texts written in the vernacular language.

Hispania judaica bulletin, 2016

Ajs Review-the Journal of The Association for Jewish Studies, Apr 1, 2016

In an Ashkenazic Bible produced in the thirteenth century, we find a unique micrography decoratio... more In an Ashkenazic Bible produced in the thirteenth century, we find a unique micrography decoration portraying Ezekiel's vision. On the bottom margin the Masorah micrography shows the full bodies of the four creatures: the lion facing the ox, and the man, in full armor and holding an object in each hand, facing the eagle. I suggest that the choice to portray the human figure in this micrography as an armored knight can be explained by reference to the tradition describing seeing Jacob's image engraved on the throne in Ezekiel's vision, as also reflected in the writings of Hasidei Ashkenaz. The decoration identifies the human figure as Jacob, which may illustrate the verse 'Avir Ya‘akov, meaning “mighty one of Jacob” or Jacob the Knight.

מבטים, 2022

Polemical and Exegetical Polarities in Medieval Jewish Cultures Studies in Honour of Daniel J. Lasker, eds. Ehud Krinis, Nabih Bashir, Sara Offenberg, and Shalom Sadik, De Gruyter 2021, 2021

Religions, 2024

Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures, 2018

מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב... more מבטים הוא שנתון אקדמי שפיט בשפה העברית הרואה אור מטעם המחלקה לאמנויות באוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב.
כתב העת נכלל ברשימת כתבי העת המוכרים על ידי ות"ת, הוועדה לתכנון ותקצוב של המועצה להשכלה גבוהה.
כתב העת המתפרסם בפורמט מקוון (Open-Access), נועד לספק במה לפרסום מאמרים מקוריים בתחומי האמנות והתרבות החזותית, מכל תקופה, נושא, או מדיה. בנוסף כולל כתב העת מדור ביקורת תערוכות ומדור ביקורת ספרי עיון. הצעות למאמרים ניתן לשלוח לכתובת הדוא״ל:
mabatim.arts@gmail.com

De Gruyter eBooks, Dec 16, 2019

De Gruyter eBooks, Aug 9, 2021

Hispania judaica bulletin, 2016

Ajs Review-the Journal of The Association for Jewish Studies, Apr 1, 2016

These are the opening and closing remarks of a lament composed in memory of Rabbi Samson of Metz.... more These are the opening and closing remarks of a lament composed in memory of Rabbi Samson of Metz. His story has come down to us via this single source, which is the only extant evidence of his martyrdom, composed by Benjamin the scribe and copied by him in the London Miscellany, British Library Add. MS 11639, also known as The North French Hebrew Miscellany,2 produced in northern France sometime between 1278 and 1280.3 Although earlier scholars studied the story of Samson of Metz, they never considered it in relation to other texts in the manuscript or to the images.4 In this study, I address this lament against the background of the other texts and images in London Miscellany, with a specific focus on one of the illuminations in the manuscript, portraying the biblical Samson and the Lion and in light of Jewish-Christian medieval relations.

Arts, Mar 4, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Jewish History, Mar 1, 2013

A quick view at the title suggests that the authors took on a daunting task-to survey education a... more A quick view at the title suggests that the authors took on a daunting task-to survey education and economic history of the Jews in a variety of lands over a period of almost a millennium and a half. The authors try to answer the question: How were the Jews transformed from a people of farmers to an urban population of merchants and craftsmen? The authors survey Jewish demographic history, educational history, and economic history and find an answer in the high level of literacy among Jewish men. In their opinion, this product of religious ideology had major economic results. Their conclusion is that religion had a major impact on Jewish economic and social life. In the final chapter, the authors suggest that this influence has continued until today-or almost until today. The authors are economists and not specialists in Jewish history or in demography; and thus not surprisingly, many of the claims they make in this book can be challenged.

Acta Periodica Duellatorum, Jun 3, 2021

Two manuscripts produced in early fourteenth-century German lands reflect similar iconography of ... more Two manuscripts produced in early fourteenth-century German lands reflect similar iconography of the fighting with sword and buckler; one is the wellknown fencing manual, Leeds, Royal Armouries, MS I. 33, produced ca. 1320, and the other is a Hebrew manuscript of the Bible, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France MS héb. 9, made in 1304, which will be the focus of this article. I demonstrate that the masorah figurata iconography was adapted from German Fechtbücher (fencing manuals), which are books of instructions, usually with illustrations, that detail the fencing arts. The sword and buckler combination was used by unarmoured combatants in civilian settings and ordinary foot soldiers. Given the background of the 1298 riots known as the Rindfleisch massacres, the choice to portray the micrography figures as common combatants might well reflect the often-imminent danger that Jews faced from their bourgeois Christian neighbours.

Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures, Dec 29, 2018

The Michael Mahzor, produced in Germany in 1258, one of the earliest illuminated Mahzorim, is a t... more The Michael Mahzor, produced in Germany in 1258, one of the earliest illuminated Mahzorim, is a two-volume prayer book containing liturgical poems for the Holy Days and the 'four special Sabbaths, ' when liturgical additions are made to the regular weekly chapter reading during the month of Adar. The manuscript is copiously illuminated, with animals adorning the opening words of the liturgical poem, and contains a militant iconographical plan, including knights and fighting warriors. The relationship between text and image in illuminated manuscripts is important, because they need to be 'read' together in order to understand the illuminations in their immediate and general context. The novelty of this study is in a holistic reappraisal of the manner in which we think about illustration in connection with text. This paper addresses three scenes containing animals in the Mi

Ajs Review-the Journal of The Association for Jewish Studies, Oct 22, 2020

Hunting scenes are common in Jewish illuminated manuscripts and are understood as allegories of t... more Hunting scenes are common in Jewish illuminated manuscripts and are understood as allegories of the Jew, usually represented as a hare or a deer, being persecuted by the Christian, shown as a hunter and his dogs. This article will discuss a hunt scene from the Worms Mah. zor, an Ashkenazic illuminated prayer book produced in 1272, probably in Würzburg. At the top of folio 130r, an illumination of the piyyut (liturgical poem) "ʾAyelet ʾahavim" (the loving hind, or doe) for Shavuot displays a deer being hunted by a devilish hunter and his dogs. Examining the illustration in the context of contemporary textual evidence, I shall demonstrate that the deer in the Worms Mah. zor portrays the Torah itself being persecuted by the hunter, who can be understood not only as a Christian or Esau, but also as Jesus.

Studies in the visual cultures of the Middle Ages, 2015

Routledge eBooks, Aug 8, 2023

European Journal of Jewish Studies, Jul 26, 2022

אביר ישראל: תיאורי אצולה ואבירים באמנות יהודית בימי הביניים הרצאת זום במסגרת הסמינר המחלקתי של המ... more אביר ישראל: תיאורי אצולה ואבירים באמנות יהודית בימי הביניים
הרצאת זום במסגרת הסמינר המחלקתי של המחלקה לאמנויות, קמפוס אילת
מרכזת הסמינר: ד"ר תהילה שדה

Monday 11 January 2021, 19:00 Israel Time Sword and Buckler in Hebrew Letters: Traces of Early I... more Monday 11 January 2021, 19:00 Israel Time

Sword and Buckler in Hebrew Letters: Traces of Early Illuminated German Fight Books in Jewish Manuscripts
Prof. Sara Offenberg
Department of the Arts, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Two manuscripts produced in early fourteenth-century German lands reflect similar iconography of fighting with Sword and Buckler (small round shield); one is the well-known fencing manual, Leeds, Royal Armouries, MS I. 33, produced ca. 1320, and the other is a Hebrew manuscript of the Bible, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France héb. 9, made in 1304, that will be the focus of this paper. I wish to demonstrate that the iconography of the masorah figurata was adapted from German Fechtbücher (fencing manuals), which are books of instructions, usually with illustrations, detailing the fencing arts. First, I relate to the realia of Jews bearing arms and Jewish fencing masters. Afterward I discuss the iconography of the fighting figures; subsequently, after examining the texts that make up the micrography, I reach a broader conclusion regarding the reason the patron commissioned this work and the meaning of the scene. This lecture intends to demonstrate how Hebrew illuminated manuscripts can shed more light on the study of fight books iconography.

"Drawing Secrets: Esoteric Texts and Images in Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts,” Eshkolot Project,... more "Drawing Secrets: Esoteric Texts and Images in Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts,” Eshkolot Project, Moscow, Online Lecture
http://eshkolot.ru/en/event/43431
December 8th 2020 8 PM Moscow Time (7 PM Jerusalem Time)

The 8th Annual Conference of the Society for Sephardic Studies Sephardic Identity and Material Cu... more The 8th Annual Conference of the Society for Sephardic Studies Sephardic Identity and Material Culture

International Workshop on Visual antisemitism 3rd Czech-Israeli Workshop, Institute of Art Histor... more International Workshop on Visual antisemitism
3rd Czech-Israeli Workshop, Institute of Art History, Academy of Science in Prague
Prague, Akademické konferenční centrum Husova 4, Praha 1 — Staré Město
25 / 9 / 2018

Masorah Workshop: Philology & Aesthetics, International Workshop, Hochschule für Jüdische Studien... more Masorah Workshop: Philology & Aesthetics, International Workshop, Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg, 9-10 May 2018

An End to Anti-Semitism, University of Vienna, 18-22 February 2018

יום עיון לכבוד דניאל י' לסקר עם פרישתו לגמלאות יום רביעי י"ט במרחשון תשע"ח, 8 בנובמבר 2017 אולם... more יום עיון לכבוד דניאל י' לסקר עם פרישתו לגמלאות
יום רביעי י"ט במרחשון תשע"ח, 8 בנובמבר 2017
אולם כנסים אורן, אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב (פוסטר)

Jerusalem — Eternal Source of Artistic Inspiration 2nd Czech-Israeli Colloquium Prague, Akademick... more Jerusalem — Eternal Source of Artistic Inspiration
2nd Czech-Israeli Colloquium
Prague, Akademické konferenční centrum Husova 4, Praha 1 — Staré Město
5 / 9 / 2017

In one of the Erfurt Bibles, Berlin, Staatsbibliothek (Preussischer Kulturbesitz) Or. fol. 1212, ... more In one of the Erfurt Bibles, Berlin, Staatsbibliothek (Preussischer Kulturbesitz) Or. fol. 1212, produced in the thirteenth century we find unique micrography decorations. In a recent study by Annette Weber, she discusses the meaning of initial words decorations in relation to the ideas and writings of the German Pietists (Hasidei Ashkenaz). In this paper, I wish to further elaborate on this idea and focus mainly on two scenes: the first from the opening of the book of Ezekiel and the second from Proverbs. Against the background of contemporary textual and artistic evidence, this study will be put into context of medieval Jewish-Christian relations.

Sara Offenberg, "Sword and Buckler in Hebrew Letters: Traces of Early Illuminated German Fight Bo... more Sara Offenberg, "Sword and Buckler in Hebrew Letters: Traces of Early Illuminated German Fight Books in Jewish Manuscripts," in Martial Culture in Medieval Town, 09/02/2021, https://martcult.hypotheses.org/1203

Divide and Conquer: Deconstructing "Jewishness" and Reconstructing Contextual Meaning Bar-Ilan ... more Divide and Conquer: Deconstructing "Jewishness" and Reconstructing Contextual Meaning

Bar-Ilan University, Sept. 8 2015

CONSTRUCTING AND DECONSTRUCTING JEWISH ART

07/09/2015 - 10/09/2015

International Workshop,
Bar-Ilan University and Israel Science Foundation
The Bar-Ilan Journal of Jewish Art
The Michael J. Floersheim Memorial for Jewish Art

אות: הפורום הישראלי לחקר כתבי יד כתבי יד משמשים כמקור ראשוני לחקר ההיסטוריה במשך שנים רבות. חוקרו... more אות: הפורום הישראלי לחקר כתבי יד
כתבי יד משמשים כמקור ראשוני לחקר ההיסטוריה במשך שנים רבות. חוקרות.ים שונים ניגשים לעיסוק בכתבי יד דרך דיסציפלינות שונות, במסגרתן נבחנים היבטים שונים שלהם (טקסטואליים, חזותיים, חומריים ואחרים). משום שאובייקטים אלו משמשים כציר מרכזי של מחקרים מסוגים שונים, בהקשרים תרבותיים וחברתיים שונים, פלטפורמה המפגישה בין חוקרות.ים אלו עשויה לתרום לקידום המחקר הבין-תחומי, להוביל לשיתופי פעולה מעניינים, ולקדם את חקר כתבי היד בארץ. "אות: הפורום הישראלי לחקר כתבי יד" מבקש להיות הפלטפורמה הזו, מקום המפגש של חוקרות.ים בשלבים שונים של הקריירה שלהם.ן המעוניינים.ות לקחת חלק בפעילות מהסוג הזה. הפורום עתיד לקיים ארבעה מפגשים בשנה, במהלכם יציגו משתתפות ומשתתפי הפורום ממחקריהם.ן. כמו כן, הפורום ינהל מאגר ידע בנוגע לחקר כתבי יד, ויקיים הכשרות בנושא. תחת "חקר כתבי יד" נמנים מחקרים מסוגים שונים, כאמור, ללא שום מגבלת תקופה, שפה או מרחב גיאוגרפי, ובתנאי שהאובייקט המרכזי הוא כתב היד. בין מחקרים אלו נמנים, בין היתר, מחקרים בפליאוגרפיה, קודיקולוגיה, אוספים ואספנות, היסטוריה, תרבות חזותית ועוד.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewzlylJBsEnRU2qcj5vxoBE4vv_9a2U2upC0850pLpbgHPcA/viewform

יום שלישי 26 באפריל 2022, כ"ה בניסן התשפ"ב, בשעה 19:00 גלריית טרומפלדור, רחוב טרומפלדור 19, העיר ... more יום שלישי 26 באפריל 2022, כ"ה בניסן התשפ"ב, בשעה 19:00
גלריית טרומפלדור, רחוב טרומפלדור 19, העיר העתיקה באר שבע

השמיר, והכתב, והמכתב, והלוחות (משנה אבות ה, ו): המקרא באֹמֶר ובתמונה – כנס לכבוד פרישתו של פרופ'... more השמיר, והכתב, והמכתב, והלוחות (משנה אבות ה, ו):
המקרא באֹמֶר ובתמונה – כנס לכבוד פרישתו של פרופ' שמיר יונה לגמלאות
יום שלישי, כ"א באדר א' התשפ"ב, 22 במרץ 2022
אולם אורן (כנסים א'), אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב

Images related to chivalry and nobility are found in medieval and early modern art in various con... more Images related to chivalry and nobility are found in medieval and early modern art in various contexts, formats, and settings. Whether representing real or fictional figures, portrayals of members of the nobility, heroes, and knights were rendered in accord with contemporary ideas on social structure, codes of behavior, and religiosity. In spite of the development of different versions of aristocratic hierarchy in the various societies around the Mediterranean and north of the Alps, notions of chivalry and nobility were usually influenced by a rich nexus of Roman imperial culture, theological concepts, secular texts, and court literature. Whereas some images evolved into a fixed and traditional iconography, there are deviations from that tradition that are of considerable interest. As most representations of socio-cultural supremacy in this era, images related to chivalry and nobility can imply a range of goals, political propaganda, and religious motivations. We invite relevant papers from broad points of view that consider the contexts of the production, reception, and interpretation of such art. We encourage interdisciplinary studies that can shed new light on previously well-studied artworks as well as papers that deal with works that are relatively unexplored. Questions on the interplay between secular imagery and religious ideas, on rhetorical devices adapted from literature and applied in art, on the evolution of a mythological image from the antique period until pre-modern times, and on the role of those artworks as agencies in the social arena will be most welcome.

Keynote speaker: Dr. Karen Watts, Curator Emeritus at the Royal Armouries and Professeur de Patrimoine et Archaeologie Militaire at the Ecole du Louvre

In what way has antisemitism influenced fine art in the Czech lands? Is there an embedded anti-Se... more In what way has antisemitism influenced fine art in the Czech lands? Is there an embedded anti-Semitic iconography? How can we define anti-Judaism and antisemitism in relation to their visual products?

The Workshop will deal primarily with questions of how to write about the visual history of antisemitism and exhibit anti-Semitic works to the public without contributing to the support of hate movements.

Especially welcome are methodological contributions focusing on the theme of visual antisemitism in the Czech lands from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Paper: Scripture Twice and Translation Once- Representations of Elijah the Prophet in Religious ... more Paper: Scripture Twice and Translation Once- Representations of Elijah the Prophet in Religious Art of 15th Century Europe
שניים מקרא ואחד תרגום: ייצוגים של אליהו הנביא באומנות דתית באירופה במאה החמש עשרה

Jerusalem has always been a vibrant center of many cultures, languages and religious traditions. ... more Jerusalem has always been a vibrant center of many cultures, languages and religious traditions. During the past centuries diverse influences have clashed here coming from the distant corners of Europe, Asia and Africa. Jerusalem – a stormy witness of an unprecedented development of Jewish, Christian and Muslim art which has always encouraged and influenced.

We particularly welcome papers examining the art-historical topic of Jerusalem in the Czech lands from mediaeval times to the present day. The colloquium will include lectures devoted to Christian, Jewish and Muslim art.

Is there a Jewish art? A provocative question that is still discussed today, and one that art his... more Is there a Jewish art? A provocative question that is still discussed today, and one that art historians and art critics such as Ernst Gombrich, Joseph Gutmann, and Harold Rosenberg have tried to answer in the past.

What are the limits defining Jewish art? Should definitions of it be based on the condition that Jewish artists or Jewish iconography are involved, or perhaps “Jewish experiences”? Is Jewish art national art or religious art? Are there some stylistic or other specific features linked with this type of art?

International Conference and Workshop, Bar-Ilan University, September 9-7, 2015

Ehud Krinis, et al., eds., Polemical and Exegetical Polarities in Medieval Jewish Cultures: Studies in Honour of Daniel J. Lasker (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2021), 317-345, 2021

A central concern in the exegetical works of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167) is polemicizing a... more A central concern in the exegetical works of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167) is polemicizing against the Karaites.1 In the introductions to his two commentaries on the Torah, ibn Ezra gives special attention to criticizing Karaite exegesis and to explaining the differences between his approach and theirs.2 In his Torah commentaries, he frequently argues against a Karaite position, sometimes ridiculing it.3 Partly for this reason, ibn Ezra often expresses his fealty to rabbinic exegesis. In a number of different formulations, he states that the rabbis of the Talmud were wiser than we are.4 At times, he records how he would have interpreted a verse were it not for the words of the rabbis, but states that he abandoned his understanding once he saw what the classical rabbis had written.5 Ibn Ezra is not entirely consistent in this approach; from time to time, his interpretations do not conform to rabbinic ones.6 However, a comparison to his slightly older contemporary, Rashbam (Rabbi Samuel ben Meir; c. 1080-c. 1165), shows ibn Ezra's limits. Rashbam and ibn Ezra are in many ways similar in their dedication to pešaṭ, the plain or contextual meaning of Scripture. However, when they interpret verses in the Bible that deal with laws, they differ in surprising 1 The vast literature on this topic includes, for example,

Reviewed by Stefan C. Reif. Ehud Krinis, Nabih Bashir, Sara Offenberg and Shalom Sadik (eds), Po... more Reviewed by Stefan C. Reif.
Ehud Krinis, Nabih Bashir, Sara Offenberg and Shalom Sadik (eds), Polemical and Exegetical Polarities in Medieval Jewish Cultures: Studies in Honour of Daniel J. Lasker. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2021