Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This remarkable book does much more than offer a gripping reconstruction of the 1737 trial of Joseph Suss Oppenheimer, who had been the personal banker and advisor of the duke of a small German state and was executed, after the duke's death, for serious crimes against the state. Such a reconstruction would already have been a significant achievement, as the rigorous attention to detail and nuance bring the case vividly to life. But Mintzker ... also explains the challenges presented to a historian in ascertaining the truth about the trial, and the rationale behind his way of dealing with the evidentiary record... This fascinating intellectual journey deserves a wide audience."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "Well written and engaging... This meticulously researched work offers a fascinating and intelligent accounting of Oppenheimer's life that will captivate readers of history and Jewish studies."--Jacqueline Parascandola, Library Journal (Starred Review)
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Note to Readers xi Introduction 1 First Conversation 23 1 The Inquisitor 25 Part 1 Vita Ante Acta 25 Part 2 Species Facti 55 Second Conversation 100 2 A Convert's Tale 103 Third Conversation 171 3 Joseph and His Brothers 177 Fourth Conversation 224 4 In the Land of the Dead 231 Afterword 280 List of Illustrations 287 List of Abbreviations 289 Notes 291 Index 323
