New Introductory Courses in History (200-0-26)

Topic

Cairo to Kaifeng: Medieval Jews, Global Lives

Instructors

Jonathan Brack

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L28: Mon, Wed, Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

Topic: Cairo to Kaifeng: Medieval Jews, Global Lives

Were medieval Jews mobile? Did they travel for business and leisure? Did they relocate for professional opportunities or flee religious persecution? How did they document their journey, and how did they experience encountering Jewish communities living under different political and religious circumstances? Could medieval marriages survive the strain of long-distance relations or an abusive mother-in-law? How was Jewish law shaped by realities of migration mobility? How did Jews navigate the legal systems of the dominant societies - Muslim or Christian? Finally, what are the modern stakes of these medieval "global" Jewish histories?
To answer these and other questions, this lecture course will follow the life trajectories and travels of Jewish merchants, pilgrims, rabbis, intellectuals, converts, wives, and husbands across the interconnected medieval world - from the bustling trade hub of Cairo to the shores of Yemen and India, and the ‘Abbasid capital of Baghdad, the Silk Roads and medieval Afghanistan, the booming urban centers of Song China, and finally the flourishing Jewish communities of Cordoba and Toledo before and after the Jewish expulsion from al-Andalus. Drawing on one of the most remarkable archival discoveries— the Cairo Geniza, a cache of letters, contracts, court records, and intimate personal documents that survived for centuries in an Egyptian synagogue — alongside travel accounts, legal responsa, philosophical texts, and material culture, the course explores daily life and food, gender relations and family intricacies, Jewish relations with Muslims and Christians, conversion and apostasy, long-distance trade, intellectual and religious exchange, and legal traditions. Throughout, we will interrogate myths of a "Golden Age" of Jewish-Muslim relations alongside the intricate realities of coexistence, conflict, and the enduring legacies of both. By the end of the course, students will have encountered Jews not at the margins of the medieval world but as mobile and adaptable agents at its very center.

Learning Objectives

•Develop a nuanced understanding of the medieval history of Jewish communities and Jewish mobility and connectivities. •Become acquainted with central aspects of Jewish experiences and practices, key scholarly debates in medieval historiography, historical methodologies, and the main primary source materials and genres. •Develop skills of historical analysis using secondary and primary sources including texts, images, objects, maps, and more. •Develop critical thinking skills. This includes the ability to evaluate accounts in their historical context and assess current scholarly discussions.

Evaluation Method

attendance, participation, quizzes, presentations, final exam

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): European, Asia/Middle East, Africa/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is restricted to History Majors and Minors only until the end of pre-registration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites (if any)