Hebrew manuscripts are our most important source of knowledge about Jewish medieval life, and anyone wishing to engage with Jewish history needs to know about the manuscripts, how to study them, and their literary genres. Colette Sirat offers a comprehensive overview of these subjects in this illustrated introduction. The book is a re-structured, extended and updated version of an earlier presentation in French. It has been translated from the author's revision of her earlier French book, and edited for an English readership, by Hebrew scholar Nicholas de Lange.

Hebrew manuscripts are our most important source of knowledge about Jewish intellectual, religious and everyday life in the Middle Ages, and anyone wishing to engage with medieval Jewish history needs to know about the manuscripts themselves, how to study them, and the literary genres to which they belong. Colette Sirat offers a comprehensive overview of these subjects in this illustrated introduction to Hebrew manuscript culture. This 2002 work is a considerably re-structured, extended and updated version of an earlier presentation in French. It now encompasses all aspects of Hebrew manuscripts - textual, codicological and palaeographical - combining different disciplines to give an all-embracing view of the subject. The volume has been translated from the author's revision of her earlier French book, and edited for an English readership, by leading Hebrew scholar Nicholas de Lange, who worked closely with Professor Sirat in the preparation of the new book.

This book surveys the vast body of medieval Jewish philosophy, devoting ample discussion to major figures such as Saadiah Gaon, Maimonides, Abraham Ibn Ezra, Judah Halevi, Abraham Ibn Daoud, and Gersonides, as well as presenting the ancillary texts of lesser known authors. Sirat quotes little-known texts, providing commentary and situating them within their historical and philosophical contexts. A comprehensive bibliography directs the reader to the texts themselves and to recent studies.

Des sa jeunesse, le grand projet du Maitre avait ete d'extirper du peuple d'Israel la croyance a la corporalite divine. Ce but est proclame des le debut de son premier grand livre, le Mishne Tora, destine au grand public. Le livre fut severement critique, en particulier, par les talmudistes babyloniens. De ces confrontations avec les fideles des communautes juives orientales, sort un homme decu, amer et blesse. Quand Maimonide redige le Guide des egares, les ignorants et les rabbins talmudistes sont ses ennemis et aussi les ennemis de Dieu. On a beaucoup parle des secrets que Maimonide a volontairement dissimules dans le Guide des egares. Ici, nous touchons du doigt la maniere dont il l'a fait. Les brouillons autographes s'etalent sur une longue periode, nous y voyons Maimonide introduire peu-a-peu les traits les plus extremes de sa philosophie mais aussi des concessions faites au vulgaire. Cette interpretation n'est pas nouvelle (on la trouve deja au XIIIe siecle) mais elle n'a pas ete acceptee par tous. Ici le temoignage est irrefutable: c'est l'auteur lui-meme qui ecrit. En regardant ces autographes, nous ressentons la douleur et le ressentiment de l'homme qui voulait montrer a ses coreligionnaires l'accord profond entre la philosophie et la religion juive.