Historical Consciousness, Haskalah, and Nationalism Among the Karaites of Eastern Europe Karaite Texts and Studies, Volume 10

The present study is the first of its kind to deal with Eastern European Karaite historical thought. It focuses on the social functions of Karaite historical narratives concerning the rise of Karaism from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. The book also deals with the image of Karaism created by Protestants, and with the perception of Karaism by some leaders of the Haskalah movement, especially the scholars of Hokhmat Israel. In both cases, Karaism was seen as an orientalistic phenomenon whereby the "enlightened" European scholars romanticized the "indigenous" people, while the Karaites (themselves), adopted this romantic images, incorporating it into their own national discourse. Finally, the book sheds new light on several conventional notions that shaped the study of Karaism from the nineteenth century.

About the author

Golda Akhiezer, PhD (2008) in Jewish history, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is a senior lecturer in the Israel Heritage Department at Ariel University. She has published extensively on the history and culture of Eastern European Jewry with main emphases on Karaism; Jewish-Christian and Karaite-Rabbanite polemics; modernization, Haskalah, and Jewish studies in the Russian Empire. She has recently published the book The Conquest of the Crimea by the Russian Empire through the Eyes of Karaite Chroniclers (Jerusalem - Moscow: Gesharim 2015).

Product details

• Authors: Golda Akhiezer
• Assisted by: Greenberg David (Translation)
• Publisher: Brill
• Content: Book
• Product form: Hardback
• Publication date: 21.12.2017
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Judaism
• EAN: 9789004360570
• ISBN: 978-90-04-36057-0
• Pages: 370
• Dimensions (packing): 16.3 x 23.6 x 2.5 cm
• Weight (packing): 635 g
• Series: Études Sur Le Judaïsme Médiéva > 73
• Subjects: Osteuropa; RELIGION / Judaism / General; Religion - Judaism