Studies on the Jews of Venice, 1392-1797

Nine essays cover the entire period of Jewish residence in the Italian city, from the first charter granted to moneylenders to settle in the city, until the special status of the Jews was ended when the Venetian Republic fell to Napoleon Bonaparte. Reproduced from anthologies and journals published between 1983 and 2002, they consider such topics as curfew time in the ghetto of Venice, the distinguishing head-covering of the Jews of Venice, the forced baptist of Jewish minors in early- modern Venice, moneylending in 17th-century Jewish vernacular apologetica, and between the myth of Venice and the lachrymose conception of Jewish history. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Benjamin Ravid is Jennie and Mayer Weisman Professor of Jewish History, Brandeis University, USA