Apr

7 2022

Alexander the Great’s Jewish Scribe: Translation and Transgression

7:00PM - 8:30PM  

Susan Landau-Chark 1125 Colonel By Drive
Carleton University
Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6

Contact Susan Landau-Chark
613-404-8437
susanlandauchark@cunet.carleton.ca
https://carleton.ca/jewishstudies/

Alexander’s Eastern empire, much embellished in legends and romances,
interested Western Jewish writers as a place to imagine a historical and
ideological alternative to Rome and the destruction of Jerusalem. This
version of the Alexander Romance is considered the most inventive
and fanciful medieval tale. A new character is introduced: Menachem,
Alexander’s Jewish chief scribe. Despite the emergence of Menachem as a
tragic figure, his role illustrates the Jewish diaspora in Alexander’s empire.

Sponsor: Zelikovitz Centre for Jewish Studies