Everyday Bible Study in Late Medieval Ashkenaz

This video presents the portrayal of Bible study from a will written by Eliezer ben Shmuel HaLevi of Mainz in 1357. Bible study was integral to Jewish life and identity in medieval Ashkenaz, even beyond the Rabbis and scholarly circles who were involved in exegesis and polemics. This video considers Eliezer’s description of how, when, and where ordinary Jewish men and women should study the Bible, situating his suggestions against the backdrop of religious reading practices amongst Christian laity of the period.