The subject of this study is the manufacturing of ritually pure scrolls in medieval European culture as an extraordinary codicological, theological and social phenomenon of the Jewish scribal tradition. The author focuses on the highly idealized perception of the rabbinic tradition regarding the relationship between material, purity and holiness in the context of writing, as well as a rich commentarial literature that deals with the symbolic meaning of the material elements from an ethical-philosophical, mystical or magical perspective.
The multi-faceted writing literature, which has previously received little attention in research, testifies to diverse interactions between the Jewish and the non-Jewish society. The author discusses the far-reaching process of transformation of scribal literature in medieval Ashkenaz against the background of Christian book culture and the ambivalent Jewish-Christian relationship of that era.
Annett Martini, ›Arbeit des Himmels‹. Jüdische Konzeptionen rituellen Schreibens in der europäischen Kultur des Mittelalters. Studia Juaica 115 (Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2022).

OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Andreas Lehnertz (May 13, 2022). New Book by Annett Martini: ›Arbeit des Himmels‹. Jüdische Konzeptionen rituellen Schreibens in der europäischen Kultur des Mittelalters. medievalJewishStudiesNow! Retrieved February 14, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/rhnx