Crescent and Cross: The Jews

¶ … Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages by Mark R. Cohen. Specifically, it will contain a book review of the book. Mark R. Cohen is a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He majored in Jewish studies, and specializes in Jews living in the ancient Arab world. He has written several books, and is considered an expert in the field. This book has been translated into many different languages, including Hebrew and German ("Biography"). The book maintains that during the Middle Ages, Jews living in the Arab world were more tolerated and les persecuted than those living in the Christian world. Cohen proves his thesis with historical research and solid arguments discussing his historical findings.

The main topic of the book is Jewish life during the Middle Ages, and to assess if Jews who lived in the Christian world were better off and less persecuted than Jews living in the Muslim world. The author states, "Jewish-Muslim and Jewish-Christian relations followed strikingly different courses in the Middle Ages" (p. 195). Cohen comes to this conclusion after a detailed analysis of historical information and records of daily life, and the book contains the evidence to help him prove his case.

Throughout their long history, the Jewish people have often been the object of persecution and prejudice. They were driven out of Canaan in their earliest history, driven out of many areas of Europe during different times in history, and of course suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. This book looks at a specific time in Jewish history, the Middle Ages, and compares Jewish life in Christian society with Jewish life in Muslim society. It attempts to show that Jews living in the Arab world suffered less and were better off than Jews in the Christian world were, for a variety of reasons.

The author begins by "debunking" several myths on both sides of the debate, so he can level the playing field. He indicates there were misunderstanding and misinterpretations on both sides of the debate, and that Jews and Arabs have both helped perpetuate some of these misinterpretations. He then begins to compare life in the Christian world opposed to that in the Islamic world, and begin to sort out the information regarding Jews in both worlds. For example, he notes that in the Christian world in the Middle Ages, most Jews lived under the mantle of serfdom that decreed who they worked for, where they lived, while Jews in the Arab world did not serve and serfs, and could choose to live wherever they wanted (Cohen 46). Thus, Jews in the Arab world had better living arrangements, and were better off in that regard.

Later he notes that the Islamic world lived under the Pact of 'Umar, which was issued early in Islamic history by the Caliph 'Umar and governed how the Muslims dealt with the Jews in their midst. It reads that the Muslims, "must do battle to guard them, and put no burden on them greater than they can bear" (Cohen 72), while in Europe, Jewish protection was not guaranteed, and often, charters and agreements were null and void when a new ruler or pope took office, and had to be reissued or renegotiated. Thus, the Jews in Europe had far less security and protection from persecution under Christian rule, and they often paid much higher tariffs and taxes as a result.

Of course, all the evidence is not one-sided. For example, traditionally Jews have lived in separate areas of towns and cities in Europe, especially during times of persecution. However, Cohen's research indicates that in many towns in Europe, Jews lived in groups in towns, but never excluded Christians from the area, and they commingled throughout many communities. In the Muslim world, Jews and Arabs also commingled, and in fact, the Islamic cities were more divided by Muslim tribes settling in certain areas, than by divisions based on religion (Cohen 125-126). Thus, many Jews living in Christian towns enjoyed the same conditions as many Jews in Muslim towns, although there were exceptions. Therefore, European Jews did not suffer every indignity that Jews is the Islamic world did not. Overall, however, the Jews in Europe did not lead as normal or equal lives as the Jews in the Muslim world did. Cohen's idea was to prove this point, and he does it repeatedly.

Throughout the book, Cohen uses comparisons such as these to prove his thesis and indicate just why the Jews were better off in Islamic lands. Each chapter touches on a particular area of life, from legalities to economics and the social aspects of life during the Middle Ages. Each time, Cohen creates balanced arguments to back up his thesis and to convince the reader his position is correct.

The author uses a variety of historical research and review to come to his conclusions, and offers a detailed section of notes at the end of the work indicating his sources for his book. His arguments are not emotional or judgmental; they simply present the facts and then indicate why the Jews were better off in one place than another. In fact, the way he presents his facts is quite balanced, so the reader can see both sides of the argument before making up their minds about Cohen's conclusions. He does not simply state his ideas without information to back them up, and it is clear he has done a large amount of research to come to his conclusions.

The author's rationale is also without question. He did not write the book on a whim, he has been teaching the subject for many years, and has researched the topics throughout his career. His rationale is simple; he saw a need for a book that concentrated on Jews in the Middle Ages and the differences in their lifestyles. He uses his reference materials to prove his points, but not all of them prove his points inconclusively, and he recognizes this. Some critics maintain that his portrayal of Christian society of the time is "static and inflexible" (Shatzmiller), and that he needed more research in this area. That may be true, but the book contained enough information and references to convince this reader that it was researched thoroughly and effectively, and that the author was balanced and fair in his assessment of the two worlds.