The 'Oven of Achnai' and Polemics

The story of the 'Oven of Achnai' has been discussed extensively in various contexts, but not enough attention has been paid to the effects of the Judeo-Christian controversy on the interpretation of the story. At the center of this controversy stands the rabbinical literature of the 14th century. In this article several exegetical responses to the controversy are examined, including — most notably — the allegoristic approach. This response is presented here in accordance with the manuscript work by R. Levi ben Abraham ben Haim, entitled Livyat Hen