Antisemitism: Ancient, Medieval, Modern

There have been people who have hated Jews qua Jews for over two thousand years. Prejudice against Jews is often called humanity's "oldest hatred," and yet it has taken many different forms over the millennia. Using a historical-critical approach, we will trace Jew-hatred chronologically and across vast territories and cultures. We will consider anti-Jewish prejudice in both Christian and Islamic lands, in the west and the east. Over the course of the semester, students will study texts regarded as scripture, works of philosophy, legal texts, historical narratives, polemics, and screeds.