The Jews of Khazaria chronicles the history of the Khazars, a people who, in the early Middle Ages, founded a large empire in eastern Europe (located in present-day Ukraine and Russia). The Khazars played a pivotal role in world history. Khazaria was one of the largest-sized political formations of its time, an economic and cultural superpower connected to several important trade routes. It was especially notable for its religious tolerance, and in the 9th century, a large portion of the royal family converted to Judaism. Many of the nobles and commoners did likewise shortly thereafter. After their conversion, the Khazars were ruled by a succession of Jewish kings that began to adopt the hallmarks of Jewish civilization, including the Torah and Talmud, the Hebrew script, and the observance of Jewish holidays. In this thoroughly revised edition of a modern classic, The Jews of Khazaria explores many exciting new discoveries about the Khazars' religious life, economy, military, government, and culture. It builds upon new studies of the Khazars, evaluating and incorporating recent theories, along with new documentary and archaeological findings. The book gives a comprehensive accounting of the cities, towns, and fortresses of Khazaria, and features a timeline summarizing key events in Khazar history.

Autorentext

By Kevin Alan Brook

Inhalt

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments
Chapter 2 Introduction
Chapter 3 The Origins of the Khazars
Chapter 4 The Cities and Towns of the Khazars
Chapter 5 The Structure of the Khazar Government
Chapter 6 The Khazar Way of Life
Chapter 7 Khazarian Trade
Chapter 8 The Khazars' Conversion to Judaism
Chapter 9 Relations between the Khazars and Other Peoples
Chapter 10 The Decline and Fall of the Khazar Empire
Chapter 11 The Diaspora of the Khazars
Chapter 12 Eastern and Central European Jews after the Tenth Century
Chapter 13 Appendix A: Timeline of Khazar History
Chapter 14 Appendix B: Glossary
Chapter 15 Appendix C: Native Khazar Personal Names
Chapter 16 Appendix D: Other Instances of Conversion to Judaism in History
Chapter 17 Bibliography
Chapter 18 Index
Chapter 19 About the Author