Abstract
This essay examines similarities between the Hebrew chronicle of Shlomo bar Shimshon and the Latin chronicle of Albert of Aachen. Both sources describe the massacre of Rhineland Jews during the First Crusade and the subsequent defeat of the Crusaders by the Hungarians and the Bulgarians. On the basis of similarities in structure, content, and language between these two accounts, I argue that Shlomo chose to integrate at least one Christian source into his narrative. At the same time, I assert that it is unlikely that Shlomo’s Hebrew account was translated directly from Albert’s Latin chronicle. I present evidence indicating that the information conveyed in the Latin text reached the Jewish chronicler via vernacular channels, either oral or written.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 173-196 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Jewish History |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 3-4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Aug 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Funding
Acknowledgments This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program (grant agreement no. 681507). I thank Elisheva Baumgarten and Adam Kosto for reading drafts of this essay and offering valuable feedback. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program (grant agreement no. 681507). I thank Elisheva Baumgarten and Adam Kosto for reading drafts of this essay and offering valuable feedback.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Elisheva Baumgarten and Adam Kosto | |
| Horizon 2020 Framework Programme | 681507 |
| European Commission |
Keywords
- Albert of aachen
- Chronicles
- First crusade
- Hungary
- Shlomo bar shimshon