Blood and Belief: The Circulation of a Symbol Between Jews and Christians"A wonderful, rich, and fascinating book, and a great read. Biale explores the meanings of blood within Jewish and Christian cultures from the blood of the sacrifices of the book of Leviticus to the blood of the Eucharist to the blood of medieval blood libels and the place of blood in Nazi ideology. Biale shows that blood symbolism stands at the center of the divide between Judaism and Christianity. This book will be the point of departure for all future studies of the subject."—Shaye J.D. Cohen, Harvard University "I know of no other work that, through numerous insights and useful distinctions, so alerts us to and comprehensively documents the ongoing constitutive role of Christian and anti-Semitic perceptions of Jewish existence and the interactions between them. Whereas much contemporary historiography has become so specialized that historians have surrendered the larger picture, David Biale's panoramic perspective reveals the great value and interest of this work."—Steven E. Aschheim, author of Beyond the Border: The German-Jewish Legacy Abroad |
Contents
Writing with Blood | 1 |
Blood in the Hebrew Bible | 9 |
The Jewish and Christian Careers of a Biblical Verse | 44 |
Medieval Jews and Christians Debate the Body | 81 |
The Medieval and the Modern in Nazi AntiSemitism | 123 |
SelfDefense and SelfAssertion in Modern Jewish Culture | 162 |
Blood and Belief | 207 |
Notes | 215 |
| 261 | |
| 281 | |
Other editions - View all
Blood and Belief: The Circulation of a Symbol Between Jews and Christians David Biale Limited preview - 2008 |
Blood and Belief: The Circulation of a Symbol between Jews and Christians David Biale Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
accusation actually Ages ancient animal anti-Semitism appears argued argument associated atonement baptism became become belief Bible biblical blood libel body called century chapter Christ Christian church circumcision claim connection covenant culture death discourse discussion divine early eating Eucharist evidence example Exodus fact female German God’s Greek hand Hebrew Hess History holy human idea identity impurity interpretation involved Israel Israelites Jerusalem Jesus Jewish Jews Judaism killed kind land language late later Leviticus literal live male martyrdom martyrs meaning medieval menstrual Middle Moses mystical Nazi offer original passage perhaps period polemics pollution practices priests prohibition purity question rabbinic race racial refers relations religion remains response ritual murder role sacrifice says seems sexual shed similar slaughter spilled spiritual story Studies suggests symbolic temple tion took tradition trans translation turn woman women York