What is it about?
This article examines the interaction between three societies—two great powers and one disempowered society—in the context of the two-century conflict in the Latin Eastern arena (1099-1291). As sovereign entities, Muslims and Christians naturally had the power to make war and peace; for their part, although they lacked the power to wage war and make peace, Jews in the medieval Latin East engaged in intensive practical activity on behalf of their compatriots who were taken captive during this conflict. All three societies sought to grant protection to their compatriots by ransoming captives. In the Muslim-Christian peacemaking context, ransom of captives was an opening step in peace negotiations. Although Jews lacked the ability to negotiate peace treaties, Jews nonetheless displayed a strong sense of communal responsibility for their fellow Jews and actively pursued ransom of Jewish captives. In addition, the medieval era saw the theoretical development of the concept of holy war by two prominent Jewish scholars. Maimonides—who as it happens also played a leading role in ransoming Jewish captives—devoted in his Code greater attention to the messianic king as a leader of war and less to messianic peace. A century later, Naḥmanides proposed a more proactive reaction to historical circumstances and even went to live in the holy land but still regarded peace as a heavenly gift. Their different attitudes reflect the reality in which each operated.
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Why is it important?
Although not specifically addressed in the article, examination of medieval peace processes can, in my opinion, impact our understanding of current interreligious conflicts. I also note that the theoretical thought on war and peace developed by the two great religious thinkers, Maimonides and Naḥmanides, continues to reverberate in modern Jewish thought on these issues.
Perspectives
For many years I have been fascinated by the peace processes between warring societies that espouse ideologies of holy war. I have come to the conclusion that in the context of the medieval Christian-Muslim conflict, the parties were able to reach what I term "small peace." I also sought to understand how these ideologies and processes affected the Jews in each of these societies.
Yvonne Friedman
Universitat Bar-Ilan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Peace and the Powerless: the Jews between Muslims and Crusaders in the Medieval Middle East, December 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004726840_005.
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