Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution [2 volumes]

by Richard S. Levy (Editor), Dean Phillip Bell (Editor), William Collins Donahue (Editor), Kevin Madigan (Editor), Jonathan Morse (Editor)

Overview

Written by top scholars in an accessible manner, this unique encyclopedia offers worldwide coverage of the origins, forms, practitioners, and effects of antisemitism, leading to the Holocaust and surviving to the present day.

The word "antisemite" was first used to describe a politically motivated enemy of the Jews in 1879. The subject of antisemitism has often been focused on the Holocaust; however, current events and history have much to add to this discussion. For example, in 1995 a Japanese pseudo-Buddhist religious cult, imagining itself to be under attack by Jews, released sarin gas on the Tokyo subway, killing 12. From 1881 to 1900 there were 128 public accusations of Jewish "ritual murder" allegedly involving the killing of Christian children to use their blood for religious purposes.

Entries in this encyclopedia span the period from ancient Egypt to the modern era. Key theoreticians of Jew-hatred and their written works, its permeation of Christianity and modern Islam, and its political, artistic, and economic manifestations are covered. This is the first comprehensive work that deals with the entire history of ideas and practices that engendered the Holocaust.

• 650 A–Z entries by over 200 scholars from 21 countries
• Illustrations such as caricatures, political cartoons, maps, and pictures of famous antisemites and historical episodes
• Citations of recent literature that follow each entry
• Detailed index listing people, places, concepts, and events that enables users to find information about subjects not treated in dedicated articles
• Direction at the end of each entry to other articles with special relevance to the topic

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851094394
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/24/2005
Pages:	896
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 10.65(h) x 2.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Dean Bell earned a PhD in history at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches a wide range of courses in Jewish history and Jewish leadership and has delivered programs and workshops and led working groups on the theme of religion and the environment. He is author of dozens of scholarly articles and author or editor of more than a dozen books, including recently as co-author of Interreligious Resilience: Interreligious Leadership for a Pluralistic World with Michael S. Hogue, (Bloomsbury, 2022).

Editorial Reviews

"This encyclopedia is groundbreaking, its most notable merits being the presentation of accurate and up-to-date information in an unbiased manner. The volumes . . . should be a necessary tool for journalists, politicians, and all people interested in understanding antisemitism." - Searchlight

"This well-written and thoroughly researched encyclopedia should become the standard reference source in the field." - American Reference Books Annual

From the Publisher

This encyclopedia provides a clear overview and examination of anti-Semitism, with 650 double-column entries by over 200 contributors from 21 countries. The introduction states "The term anti-Semitism, used to describe an ideology and a politics, is only a little more than a century old." The focus of this work is on modern times, particularly the 19th and 20th centuries, but there are also many entries on anti-Jewish expression and actions through the ages. The articles on pivotal figures (e.g., Saint Augustine, Luther) who have had an impact for good or ill on modern thought are also examined. Most entries are at least a full page (such as "Restrictive Public Accommodations, United States"), though some are even longer (such as the article "Churches Under Nazism"). Although written by top scholars in the field-Jewish and non-Jewish-the articles are aimed at the informed lay reader or college student. Each article concludes with See also references and a brief bibliography. The indexes are easy to navigate. This title is also available in eBook format [eBook ISBN 1-85109-444-X. $200]. Bottom Line The encyclopedia provides an excellent synthesis of current investigations into the origins and course of antisemitism. The entries are for the most part clearly written and rarely didactic in tone. Recommended for reference collections in medium and large public libraries.-Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., IL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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