Although Thomas Jefferson; author of the words "All men are created equal;" was a lifelong enemy of the institution of slavery; he considered over six hundred human beings his legal possessions over the course of his long life. Building on Stanton's highly acclaimed Slavery at Monticello; this fascinating work highlights the stories of six enslaved families who lived and worked at Monticello and provides general information on events and issues that affected the entire African-American community. Informed by the extensive records and accounts of Thomas Jefferson; the book also draws from oral histories of the descendants of former slaves as well as the reminiscences and letters left by men and women who lived in slavery at Monticello. Stanton unveils the lives of the African Americans who experienced bondage on Jefferson's plantations and examines the wide variety of ways in which individuals responded to their situation; whether as "trusty servants;" resourceful leaders; or outright rebels. The book also chronicles the many accomplishments of Monticello slaves and their descendants; either during their enslavement; as the creators of hand-crafted furniture in Monticello's joinery and European-inspired cuisine served in the Monticello dining room; or after gaining freedom; as the founders of churches and schools and businesses. The skills practiced at Monticello were carried to all parts of the country; and the fight for education; freedom; and family integrity continued long after they left the mountaintop.
#919667 in Books Littman Library Of Jewish Civilization 1993-11-01Original language:HebrewPDF # 1 6.10 x .80 x 9.10l; .85 #File Name: 1874774161246 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Judaism Put to the TestBy Stefano NikolaouI bought this book on a whim a few years ago and it sat on my shelf for a long time. When I finally got around to reading it I was amazed. The book is a detailed account of disputations (basically show trials) between Christians and Jews. Most of the earlier anti-Jewish dialogues produced by Christians were basically fictional works. The Jewish speaker puts up some weak arguments that are demolished by the Christian opponent. There is no evidence that they ever took place. This is not the case with this book. The debates were real and were documented clearly.The Jewish participants had everything to lose and nothing to gain by these debates. There was no way the Christian audience was ever going to convert to Judaism (even if the rabbis had wanted them to). The Christians were often Jewish converts to Christianity and had an excellent knowledge of Rabbinic Judaism and knew where exactly to score points. In the Paris Disputation of 1240 the Talmud had come to the notice to the Christian authorities and much of the debates centred around this text. The Christians; on the other hand; were confident and aggressive and eager to flex their (new found) intellectual abilities. The Jews were already socially marginalised and this was the opportunity to trounce them at their own game.This book deals with the Paris Disputation (1240); the Barcelona Disputation (1263) and the Tortosa Disputation (1413-14). By far the most valuable part of this book are the translation of the accounts themselves. The Barcelona Disputation was the closest thing to being 'fair' as the Jews had the highly skilled Nahmanides as their spokesman. The heart of this book is Nahmanides account of the debate (called the Vikuah - pages 102-146) followed by the briefer Christian account (pages 147-150). The Jewish account of the Tortosa Disputation by Solomon ibn Verga is also fairly lengthy (pages 168-186) but not as famous as the one from Barcelona. The Christian account of the Tortosa Disputation is also fairly lengthy (pages 187-215). I like the fact that Maccoby lets the texts speaks for themselves. I hate those books where the author constantly refers to a text and paraphrases it without actually letting the reader take a look for themselves.I must say that these disputations very much remind me of the ones that Roman Catholics had with Orthodox Christians in the 13th century. The meeting at Nymphaeum in 1234 witnessed the same type of scholastic method and agressive confidence shown in the later Jewish disputations.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Great background on the major Jewish-Christian debates during the middle agesBy Nachshon ProenzaI found this book to be a great resource in understanding the background and players in these major religious debates. What was interesting was the consistent threats levied against the Jews for speaking up against the theological holes in Christianity. Any religion that cannot convey or support their beliefs through rational arguments; but must kill their opponents should be critically examined before joining.Hyam Maccoby does an excellent job of providing a critical analysis of the written account of Nachmonides (the Vikuach) versus the surviving versions of the account. It is interesting how the debates became more focused on Jewish writings (Talmud; midrashim) as they progressed. We see today a focus on these tactics as well as many missionary groups such as Jews for J-sus attempt to do the same thing.While reading the narratives; you can see the debates focusing on 3 major areas: exegesis (scriptures); historical; and rational points. The book doesn't delve too deeply into these subjects; but I would recommend Daniel J. Lasker's book; "Jewish Philosophical Polemics against Christianity in the Middle Ages"; for more information.This book is a great introduction to the argument points during the Middle Ages between Jews and Christians.15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Excellent!By AnCustomerI highly encourage anyone interested in the disputation(s) or the history of Judaic/Christian relations to take time to read this book. Thanks to the review above {all of which I agree with entirely); I bought a copy of this more or less out of couriosity but found myself eager to continue reading. The style is quite "user friendly" for those who are not religious or theological scholars - perfectly suited for those with a strong lay interest in the topic.
