Jews in the Early Modern English Imagination - 9781409411918

Taylor & Francis

Jews in the Early Modern English Imagination explores how for English travellers, the Jew of the imagination contrasted with the Jew they actually encountered in southern Europe, North Africa and the Levant. Based on travel writings, religious history and popular literature, this cultural historical study sheds new light not only on English representations of Jews during the period, but more generally on constructions of early modern religious and ethnic identities. > Based on travel writings, religious history and popular literature, Jews in the Early Modern English Imagination explores the encounter between English travellers and the Jews. While literary and religious traditions created an image of Jews as untrustworthy, even sinister, travellers came to know them in their many and diverse communities with rich traditions and intriguing life-styles. The Jew of the imagination encountered the Jew of town and village, in southern Europe, North Africa and the Levant. Coming from .