Description
Book SynopsisHistorical accounts of Jewish violence - particularly against Christians - have long been explosive material. Some historians have distorted these records for anti-Semitic purposes. This book looks at both the history of Jewish violence since late antiquity and the ways in which generations of historians have grappled with that history.
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2006 Runner-Up for the 2006 National Jewish Book Award in History "[A] dazzlingly erudite study of the many ramifications of the Purim odyssey from medieval times to our days. Horowitz's ambitious book achieves two accomplishments: the documentation of 1,500 years of Christian and Jewish interpretations of the knottiest, and naughtiest, sections of the Book of Esther, and then the chronicling of the actual social-historical consequences of those interpretations; that is, how Purim was used and abused through the ages. [Horowitz's is] a scrupulously honest voice, dealing in exemplary fashion with an important subject that has been ignored by scholars precisely because of its extreme delicacy. Horowitz has enriches us with a model of historical scholarship. Anything but reckless, Reckless Rites is a rare gem of academic work that will make a real difference."--Allan Nadler, Forward "Reckless Rites is a provocative volume, rich in historical detail. Horowitz tells a story, not without humor, that attempts to connect events of the distant past with contemporary conflicts. Unusual for a work of history, Reckless Rites is also a good read."--Irven M. Resnick, AJS Review "Reckless Rites is an excellent read, and for a book on such a serious subject not devoid of humor... [I]t's most important purpose ... is to throw a very large bucket of cold water over the misconceptions and the willful misreading of history in which we all too easily indulge."--Rabbi Dr. Charles Middleburgh, Jewish Chronicle "In his new book, Elliot Horowitz attempts to undermine the conventional wisdom about Jews and violence. Focusing on Purim, he convincingly shows that the image passed down over the centuries, of Jewish passivity and nonviolence during the medieval period, is, if not wrong, at least in need of correction... [A] thought-provoking book, whose trees are often as memorable as the forest."--Kalman Neuman, Jerusalem Report "The book is a valuable contribution to what appeared to be an already enormous volume of religious history. The author's presentation of a well-researched and thoroughly analyzed history of Jewish violence that accompanies a sacred festival makes this an extraordinary book."--Willem F M Luyt, Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae
Table of ContentsIllustrations xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1 PART ONE: BIBLICAL LEGACIES 21 CHAPTER ONE: The Book of Esther For and Against 23 CHAPTER TWO: A Pair of Queens 46 CHAPTER THREE: Mordecai's Reckless Refusal 63 CHAPTER FOUR: The Eternal Haman 81 CHAPTER FIVE: Amalek The Memory of Violence and the Violence of Memory 107 PART TWO: JEWS LIVING DANGEROUSLY 147 CHAPTER SIX: "The Fascination of the Abomination" Jews (and Jewish Historians) Confront the Cross 149 CHAPTER SEVEN: Mild Men or Wild Men? Historical Reflections on Jews and Violence 187 CHAPTER EIGHT: Ancient Jewish Violence and Modern Scholarship 213 CHAPTER NINE: Purim, Carnival, and Violence 248 CHAPTER TEN: Local Purims and the Invention of Tradition 279 Abbreviations 317 Bibliography 319 Index 325
