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The making of a medieval bestseller : Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil's Pillars of exile and its readers /

This study is a history of a medieval bestseller - Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil's handbook of accessible religious law relevant to Jews living in the Diaspora in medieval times. Galinsky describes how it came into being, grew, and evolved, and also charts its circulation, explains its unique appeal,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Galinsky, Yehuda D. (Author)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Oxford ; New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2025]
Series:Oxford studies in medieval literature and culture.
Subjects:
Isaac ben Joseph, > of Corbeil, > active 13th century. > Sefer mitsṿot ḳaṭan.
Jewish law > Early works to 1800.
Jews > History > 70-1789.
Jews > Books and reading.
Juifs > Histoire > 70-1789.
Juifs > Livres et lecture.
LITERARY CRITICISM.
Judaism.
RELIGION.
Religion & beliefs.
Religion.
Electronic books.
Online Access:Connect to the full text of this electronic book
Table of Contents:
  • Cover
  • The Making of a Medieval Bestseller : Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil's Pillars of Exile and its Readers
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • Acknowledgments
  • List of Illustrations
  • Transliterations and Abbreviations
  • Library Abbreviations
  • Introduction
  • The Literary Context: Developments in Halakhic Literature in France
  • The Historical Context: Developments in Thirteenth-Century Europe
  • The Medieval Book: Scribes, Patrons, and Medieval Publishing
  • Survey of the Scholarship on Isaac of Corbeil
  • Biographic Information
  • Isaac and His Medieval Bestseller: Description of Chapters
  • Terminology
  • Conclusion
  • PART I: ISAAC AND HIS BOOK
  • 1: The Origins of Pillars of Exile : From a Liturgical List to a Handbook of Law
  • Isaac's List of Commandments as a Liturgical Text
  • The list of commandments as described in Isaac's letter
  • The list of commandments as described in the students' report
  • Isaac's Commentary to the Commandments and Its Study
  • The legal commentary as described in Isaac's letter
  • The legal commentary as described in the students' report
  • The Inspirations behind Isaac's Program of Study
  • Between Isaac's Letter and the Students' Report
  • Conclusion: Isaac's Authorial Colophon
  • 2: "Embodiment" in Pillars of Exile : The Religious Significance of Its Structure
  • The Seven Pillars of Wisdom and the Seven Pillars of Exile
  • Isaac's seven pillars: An overview of the primary categories
  • The Body and Its Significance in Rabbinic Thought
  • The body and the commandments in rabbinic sources
  • The body and the commandments in early medieval midrashim
  • The body and the commandments in Ashkenazic medieval sources
  • Conclusion: Isaac and the Body
  • 3: "Thoughts Left Visible": Isaac of Corbeil at His Writing Desk
  • London, BL Add. 11639
  • Differences that Indicate an Unfinished Version
  • Commandments lacking any commentary in London, BL Add. 11639
  • Commandments in London, BL Add. 11639 which lack substantial commentary
  • An example of a change in legal opinion
  • Concluding Thoughts
  • PART II: PILLARS OF EXILE AND ITS AUDIENCE
  • 4: The Proliferation of Pillars of Exile: Factors Behind the Book's Success
  • Isaac's Promotion of Pillars and the Student's Network
  • Isaac's plan to promote his work, and its impact
  • Isaac's letter to the communities and generating public interest
  • Isaac's and Peretz's students as a circulation network
  • The Qualities of Pillars : Brevity, Compact Format, and Authority
  • The virtues of brevity and simplified content
  • The appeal of a compact format and its benefits
  • The importance of authority: Isaac and Peretz of Corbeil
  • Peretz of Corbeil and his two types of glosses to Pillars
  • In Conclusion
  • 5: Patron, Scribe, and the Colophon: Toward Identifying the Readers of Pillars of Exile
  • Descriptions of the Patron in the Scribal Colophon