Jews under Islamic and Christian Rule. I Survived Jewish History Pt. V

After a brief discussion of sources for medieval Jewish history, including the Cairo Geniza, this lecture surveys the experience of Jews under Islamic and Christian rule from the seventh through the 11th centuries. Part V of the I Survived Jewish History series at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. This is the advance, unedited version for members of the channel; the public version is scheduled to premiere on Sunday, March 8 at 8pm EST.
Interested in studying more deeply? Join our learning community of students, researchers and colleagues: / @henryabramsonphd

[@PathOfAvraham]

Can we all appreciate how much of the Dr's lecture is 'free thought' ie. no reading of notes or slides. I appreciate this lecture since nearly all English KZbin videos focus on Jewish European history during this period as if Jews are only Ashkenazi and Sepharadi. Great that Dr. Abramson highlighted the Jews of the Maghreb and Levant as well!

[@richardboli482]

How do a person find out that they are of jewesh decent.

[@isaacchetrit2735]

As always, very enlightening and interesting Well done Dr.!

[@reuvenklein7758]

Hello there. Great content thank you so much for doing this. Can I get a link to the Cairo Geniza so I can go ahead and delete my time to cataloging documents.

[@charlesedwards5333]

geniza.princeton.edu/

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

see comments

[@KA4383T]

I enjoyed your lectures and purchased several of your books. I hope you, family and community - wealth and good health....

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Same to you!

[@Gotlev6]

What’s the website to access the documents of the Cairo geniza?

[@aggievillalobos6481]

Thank you sir, you have assisted me in my studies once again.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Happy to help

[@njgrandma3519]

Such a great series of lectures. Told with humor!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you! I'm glad that you are enjoying the lectures.

[@michaellangan4450]

Prof. Abramson What is your opinion of Tovia Singer views?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I have only a passing familiarity with his work, I have heard that he is very interesting.

[@intalmdr4627]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD lol

[@jameson6930]

I can't sleep. Maybe this will help. It is making me crave a bagel and cream cheese and lox and capers. Fresh home grown tomatoes and fresh onions. Pickled Herring too.

[@alexcarter8807]

Great now I want pickled herring.

[@remix-yy1hs]

Why did you change name

[@jameson6930]

@@remix-yy1hs I need a little bit of clarification

[@yourthought2333]

Reminder set!😉

[@mcrotty]

The word 'genizah/גניזה' is similar to the Aramaic Mandaic word 'ginza/גינזא', as in Ginza Rab/Rabba (גינזא רבא), the Great Treasury.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Fascinating!

[@jasonoconner7863]

Fascinating! Thank you!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You're welcome, I am glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@yourthought2333]

Love the Khazarian Chinese food artifact 😂🤣😅

[@imampamudji8821]

Thank you,Dr Henry Abramson for this lecture.Kindly regards.

[@indrawinangun2392]

Great lectures.

[@bartversteege2910]

can you talk about "replacement theologie " in islam and christinty, is it the same? ....its not the same as the "witness" anthologie i think.

[@naimanura]

As a muslim, i see many bias here… but nevertheless u have covered the general idea. i am just curious if jews listen to islamic seerah lectures …to understand better. i recommend the battle of the trench by dr yasir qadhi

[@alexcarter8807]

I know of a synagogue in a "red" state in the US, that's built mostly underground. It just looks like a nondescript building at the surface, and in face I thought it was a building that held electrical generators or something really boring. But below ground level it's huge. I'm not even gonna say which state and it probably doesn't matter because none of them are safe these days, but I thought, What a good idea for some measure of obscurity and defense.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Interesting

[@TruthhasArrived]

Didn't they find the remains of the Khazar Kingdom some time ago?

[@muhammadx656]

I could see some scientific value in this and a view from other side for the same history.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ok.

[@mattnewhouse1781]

It ironic that the khazar story, used to boast how we are better, ends up being used on the internet against us. Crazy.

[@avirose194]

Just when we think we know it all - there is always something we don't know. Education is power!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

How true.

[@pWnageTaco92]

I really wonder if Karl Marx was not only influenced by Hegel's dialectic but also the dialectic of the Talmud. He was raised by a Jewish convert afterall.

[@itayran981]

הרצאה מעניינת, תודה

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

תודה רבה

[@alexcarter8807]

There was a noted author named Arthur Koestler who published a book pushing the Khazar theory, with the idea that if European Jews were shown to be at least semi-European rather than Middle-Eastern, they'd be less persecuted. That ... hasn't gone well. I wonder if any great rabbi ever said, "Ya try to say lashon hatov, and it ends up lashon hara, so maybe better sometimes to keep yer trap shut!"

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

We will be returning to this subject shortly.

[@zainiabdullah621]

Just finish reading "fact is fact" Benjamin H Freedman's book on the Khazar-'jews' that presently constitute 99% of the population of 'jews' of the Jewish State of Israel. Interesting; no wonder the Qur'an differenciate between 'the Bani Israel/Progenies of Ya'acob/Jacob-Israil' and the 'Yahudi'/jews.

[@thecrimsondragon9744]

​@@zainiabdullah621 what nonsense.

[@CloveCoast]

My favorite historian

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you!

[@sureshnair9427]

- please compare the experience of jewish people living under islamic and christian rules vs the experience of the jewish people living under pagan rule - as in india - the jewish people were/are much loved by the vast majority of indians through out their long history of living in the Indian subcontinent - - some say the first settlement of jews in India occured subsequent to the destruction of the first temple - approx 500 bc or so

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you for this perspective.

[@336atifnoman7]

Chutiye Yahoodiyo ki koi history hi nahi hai india me. lag bhag 5000 liklenge purey 130crore me. Vo jews jo india ke taraf aaye thei vo pathan hai aur vo afghanistan me.rahte hai baadme unhone isayiat aur islam qubool karliya hai.

[@mattnewhouse1781]

Dr Abramson......i have to catch you at one these premieres to ask you....ive been emailing with an editor of a history website, because one of their contributors blamed Jews for slavic slave trade, it was also in an article about genocides, but did not mention the most infamous genocide. Is this an old common racist idea from that part of the world?

[@omarabouelnasr1513]

Egypt stayed Christian for 700 years after Arab and Muslims came, you said best era for Jews was under Muslims rule, hope you did the same for Palestinians

[@lchig0]

TLDR?

[@damaxpowerway]

Love your lectures, Dr. Abramson. You may have unfortunately forgotten to disable comments on this one...lol. Comments filled with Muslim apologists and the responding history students filling in the gaps on the 11-1400 years of Muslim conquering and violence...

[@lowkick9093]

Huh

[@gehoyvingleyvin]

I love these lectures! What is your take on the theory that todays Palestinians are the "real" descendants of the Judean Jews? From the little i read, there is no evidence of any large scale conversion of Jews in the land to Christianity or Islam. I read that a lot of Samaritans converted to Islam, but that the Jews were pushed out gradually by Byzantines, crusaders, Arab settlers etc. Is this true?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You'd have to query some geneticists to get an answer about descent.

[@gehoyvingleyvin]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD I understand. But is there any historical records or evidence of any large scale conversion of "Palestinian" Jews to Islam? The only thing I could find was that the Egyptian Caliph Al-Hākim bi-amri ʾllāh forced Jews and Christians to convert around the year 1000, but later changed his mind and allowed them to return to their faith and rebuild their houses of worship.

[@wegood563]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD what’s your opinion on the book you gentiles by Maurice samuels

[@Wakakakzi]

What's up with the anachronistic use of the word antisemitism?

[@Ritercrazy]

Confusing Christianity with Christians is very common but unfortunate.

[@joeluna7729]

"That's the forearm of Saint Augustine, and that's not weird at all...' [cut-edit-splice]. 😂👍Good call Rabbi, to avoid the "Internet Crazies." [ I am only an E-neurotic ] ** I would only respectfully raise my hand and remind us... of 2 Melachim 13:S

[@alexcarter8807]

I've heard the Talmud likened to an archive of an internet discussion board.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Not inappropriate

[@priscillabrantle1631]

Y

[@naimanura]

since jews don’t believe in jesus … why did u use “ when jesus returns “ as if he already came ? that’s exactly the belief if muslims

[@yourthought2333]

37:15 😂🤣😅

[@cesarrivera3525]

P

[@shahrulhaidi3782]

Agreed abt pack Umar Alkhatab

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ty

[@SHAUL-YIRAH-MAAMIN.]

🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

ty

[@briankelly5828]

It's obvious that most of the practices and beliefs of Islam are derived from Judaism, with a few from Christianity. Muhammad's own relatives included Christians while many Arabized Jews lived in the Hejaz. As to what Muhammad himself believed, it is very hard to say with certainty since the texts of the Quran come long after his traditional date of death, and the Sirat and Hadiths are even later. Perhaps Muhammad became a sort of Jew, although they rejected his claim to prophethood and according to the tradition, he wreaked terrible revenge on them. The earliest Christian witness to Islam is by St John Damascene in the 8th century, where he clearly recognises the debt to Judaism as well as its mistakes re the Old testament and Christian theology.

[@briankelly5828]

That's just an ad hominem reply so there is nothing to say to it. If I have said anything false, you should point this out with reasons. Otherwise you agree with me. Attributing emotions to me is not an argument but an evasion of what I have said. Point out my mistakes, don't speculate about me.

[@briankelly5828]

@alfa paul I can't do your homework for you. You can discover this easily for yourself by examining any study of the textual history of the Quran. Despite Islamic tradition, nobody knows who wrote it or when it first appeared. There is nothing extant earlier than the 9th century. The Sirah is from a similar period. You can find out for yourself by studying the scholars of Islam John Wansborough, Patricia Crone, Christoph Luxenberg and others.

[@briankelly5828]

@alfa paul That's your right. If you have ever read the New Testament and compared what it shows about Jesus and what the Quran says about him, you will find great discrepancies. You will have to explain these - but remember that the text of the New Testament was around for HUNDREDS of years before the Quran and on point after point the Quran is simply wrong about what the New Testament- Injil - declares. For example, it states that Jesus was not crucified. That makes no sense at all. It is obvious that whoever wrote the Quran had never read the New Testament but only heard a garbled version of it. If you think Muhammad is morally superior to Jesus, again that is your right to believe that, but I wonder if you have ever read the Sirat Ibn Ishaq.

[@briankelly5828]

@alfa paul Hello, I don't want to take up any more of Dr Abramson's site with a discussion between you and me as that would abuse his hospitality. But for the record, I don't hate any Muslims (or Jews or Buddhists etc) and you should not make such allegations. As for the name of Yeshua/Iesous, I am sure you know that first century Palestine was bilingual (Aramaic and Greek) and 'Iesous' is simply the standard Greek form of the name Yehoshua / Joshua, contracted in popular speech to 'Yeshua', substituting a Greek grammatical rending. This phenomenon goes back to the Hellenisation of Palestine in the 4th century BC, and you still see it in bilingual societies today. "Iesus" is simply the Latin spelling of the Greek name. The letter J did not exist in Latin until the high middle ages. I do not know how the Arabic form "Isa" was derived because the initial Y has disappeared and "Isa" looks more like the Arabic equivalent of "Esau". I do not know if Arabic-speaking Christians today say "Isa" or something different. If you would like to discuss these matters on another forum I would be happy to do so.

[@supremercommonder]

All bullshit Islam the only religion with clear preservation we have manuscripts from the Time of the prophet muhammed himself. We also can test the quran Muslims don’t need Jews to verify our religion

[@RC-in1to]

Very Poi.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

?

[@thomasfisher8793]

Universe Tarot 2018 The 3 Suits The Stars Mysterium suit: The Morningstar: The Tragic King: The Shaman:The Mercenary: The Priest: The Doctor: The Princess: Baldr: Eurydice: King Rat: Creeper The Mouse: Miss Rat: The Palomino: The Boa Constrictor The Moon Inferis Suit: The Computer: The Rooster: The young woman: King David's daughter: Archangel Michael: Odin: Baal: The Man of Faith: The Navy Seal: The Captain: The Guide: Ekajati: Mahigan the Fierce Dog: Yemoja wife of Pires The Sun Coelum suit: Helios: The Woman on the Hill: The Cosmic Wheel: Home: Last Cup of Sorrow:Etz haChayim: The Olive Branch: Adam: Jabal al zaytun al tur: The Golden Boy: The Assassin: The Liberators: The Shepherd: Santa Maria

[@m.c.fromnyc2187]

??

[@thomasfisher8793]

@@m.c.fromnyc2187 drop shrooms it'll make sense

[@76olimpo]

🇮🇱

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ok

[@zenebusman8575]

Free Palestinian ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏻

[@lookman-2844]

The Qur'an promises people of the book all that is in the Treaty of Umar already and more. Sharing places of Worship is Islamic and protection of the People of the Book is an obligation in Islam. Unfortunately, Muslims switched to Janissaries instead of conscription. Muslims seem to have fallen short of what the Qur'an says and the word of the Prophet.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Hope you found the video useful.

[@lookman-2844]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD Yes! Treatment Of Jews would likely depend on the different Islamic Law Schools. It seems Jews, Arabs and Christians intermarried much more than supposed in the past. I have Maimonides, Umar ibn al-Khattab and Falk I King of Jerusalem. There has been a tendency for people to section off in the past.

[@DaggerSecurity]

No, not really. Its quite clear from history that Jews were treated well by Muslims in all periods. The exception came with the invention of Zionism and the subsequent invasion of Palestine by the European zionists in the 20th century. Naturally the Palestineans have a right to resist such a violent colonialist invasion by the Europeans. By all accounts, the goal of the zionists was not the become part of Palestine living side by side in peace with the Palestineans, rather the goal was to conquer and dominate and control Palestine, turn it into Israel, and marginalize Christians Arabs, and Muslim Arabs. Never mind the fact that Palestinians today are descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity and Islam. Also never mind the fact that Jews also lived in peace in various places in Africa which means that the only peoples to consistently oppress Jews throughout history have been the Roman-European/Christians. But for some strange reason, Palestineans have to suffer for the countless atrocities that the European-Christians committed.

[@need2know739]

Where Ones heart is, makes the WORLD of difference. "GOD speaks to Mans heart" NOT his mind,ears or intellect. Whats he saying to YOU? Ask yourself?? because if its something other then GOOD it aint him.

[@sureshnair9427]

- in northern india - the muslims do have an order of privilege - on race/ caste lines ashraf - the highest in the order - they are muslims of Turckic , Iranian,Arabic stock - ajlaf - the next in order - are those of the warrior clans who were conquered by the islamic armies - and forced to convert to islam. - and the last Arzal - they are the those who converted to islam from the under privileged castes of tanners , cemetry keepers/undertakers , those dealing with clearing refuse etc - they do not intermarry -

[@raassa]

please stop spreading false and untrue facts. i am from northern india and there is no such classification as turk muslim or iranian muslim...and there is no such thing as ashraf, arzal etc etc...Islam doesnt just allow it... i belong to muslim rajput family and rajputs mostly don't marry outside their case...and that is completely a hindu tradition as hinduism believe in class and caste system. Now with Tableegh (islamic preachings) and more religious knowledge even muslim rajputs are getting married outside of rajput castes. i am just wondering why you have present such lies????

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you for this perspective.

[@moeahmed4582]

Its such a lie lol turk muslim and Iranian also are converted Muslims how the are ashraf and not ardal? Lol yr statement is bs if you said Arabs only are achraf even though they were not the rulers in north india yr bs statement would be more complex 🤔 ...... Caste in Islam wad treated by Islam as early as the prophet him self said that arab is not better than non arab nor white better than black only the righteous is considered by God... Caste is in Hinduism

[@raassa]

@@moeahmed4582 there is no such thing as mr suresh nair is asserting. either he is very ignorant and illiterate or he is just posting lies and propagative stuff.......in my mosque everyone prays in same line....

[@moeahmed4582]

@@raassa thanks akhi

[@johndewey4352]

For much of the time Dr. Abramson seems balanced and objective but when it comes to Christianity he paints it as almost inherently hostile. There is no Christian law to support it, quite the contrary. Why do this today?

[@sueme1954]

Look up the burning of two thousand Jews on an especially built platform on Valentine's Day in Strasbourg. And in Basil a month earlier. 1349. For a start. Note the Nuremberg type laws against the Jews beforehand.

[@johndewey4352]

@@sueme1954 I'm talking about hostility today. Are you comparing all Christianity to Nazi Germany? Also the Poles and Russians genocided by them, and the Copts right now facing tremendous persecution, even burned alive, without pressure from the international community.

[@johndewey4352]

@Jane He was also speaking in general about Christianity which I think is a shame.

[@shuttlefeather]

Because any informed account of Jewish history is not designed to bolster the ego and identity of Christians. Jews, Lapps (Sami), Roma, people of color (brown or black) were not reckoned as equal to the white Christians who give their own version of the history of the world.

[@johndewey4352]

@@shuttlefeather Do you want an account of history designed to vilify a whole group of people and religion today?

[@shmujew4791]

boy is he wrong about a cultural convergence of judaism and islam