Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- List of abbreviations
- Names and terminology
- Map 1
- Map 2
- INTRODUCTION
- Part I Context
- Part II Contacts
- 4 TEACHING TRUTH
- 5 DESTROYING ERROR
- 6 WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD
- 7 DIPLOMACY AND ESPIONAGE
- 8 THE COMPLEXITIES OF EVERYDAY LIFE
- CONCLUSIONS
- Appendix Dominican studia
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - TEACHING TRUTH
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- List of abbreviations
- Names and terminology
- Map 1
- Map 2
- INTRODUCTION
- Part I Context
- Part II Contacts
- 4 TEACHING TRUTH
- 5 DESTROYING ERROR
- 6 WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD
- 7 DIPLOMACY AND ESPIONAGE
- 8 THE COMPLEXITIES OF EVERYDAY LIFE
- CONCLUSIONS
- Appendix Dominican studia
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Sheltered from the stench of old Barcelona's narrow streets, in the stony darkness of the Aragonese royal palace, a remarkable scene began to unfold in the summer of 1263. It was described by an anonymous scribe whose report was subsequently registered in the crown archive:
In the year of the lord 1263, on the thirteenth day of the kalends of August [Friday July 20], the lord king of the Aragonese and many other barons, prelates, religious and knights were present in the palace of the lord king at Barcelona. Since Moses, called “the magister,” a Jew, had been called by the same lord king at the request of the friars Preacher from Girona, and was himself present in the same place with many other Jews reputed to be the most expert among the other Jews, friar Paul (after deliberation with the lord king and certain other friars Preacher and Minor who were present) … proposed to the said Jewish magister that with the help of God he would prove the following points by means of commonly known and authenticated Scriptures in use and authenticated by the Jews.
Thus began the celebrated “Barcelona disputation,” which has become one of the best known of all medieval theological confrontations between Christianity and Judaism. On (perhaps) four separate occasions, spread out over a week or more, the converted Jew turned Dominican friar Paul Christiani and the venerable rabbi Moses ben Nachman of Girona (also known as Nachmanides, or the Ramban) met before the king and others to debate theological issues.
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- Dominicans, Muslims and Jews in the Medieval Crown of Aragon , pp. 133 - 164Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009