December 3, 2022
Nature and the Supernatural in Medieval Ashkenaz: The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture
The Jews of medieval Ashkenaz are known to posterity for their erudite biblical commentaries, abstract talmudic dialectics, and intricate poetic compositions. They also wrote extensively about demons, monsters, magical beasts, and occult practices. How did these bizarre, “superstitious” preoccupations exist alongside–or as part and parcel of–the sophisticated learned culture of Ashkenazic rabbinic luminaries? What are we to make of Ashkenazic theological, halakhic, and exegetical writings that focus their attention on werewolves, Golems, amulets, and magical spells? And how might our own understandings of the boundaries between the natural and divine worlds be enriched by delving into the approaches of our medieval predecessors?
