Obj. ID: 40567
Comparative Material & Miscellaneous  Jüdisches Ceremoniel by Paul Christian Kirchner, Nuremberg (Nürnberg), 1734

This text was prepared by William Gross:

During the 17th and 18th centuries and the spreading of enlightenment in Europe, there was an interest on the part of the Christian population concerning the Jews who lived in their midst. There were published a number of books that attempted to explain the customs of the Jews to a Christian audience. Some of these were anti-Semitic while others presented a more balanced view of Jewish practices.

This edition of such a book in German by Paul Christian Kirchner, a Jewish convert to Christianity, contains an accusation of a blood ritual. Paul Christian Kirchner first published Jüdisches Ceremoniel in 1717, following his 1709 conversion from Judaism to Christianity. The foreword announced his intention to convince other Jews to follow his example. 

The book was published in three editions, of which this is the third.

The first edition was published without illustrations (1717).

In 1724 the Hebraist Sebastian Jacob Jugendres collaborated on a new edition of Jüdisches Ceremoniel and rearranged the work. He corrected its text, refined its language, and added tens of copperplate engravings depicting Jewish customs and ceremonies, including Purim in the synagogue, Tisha B’Av, the sanctification of the new moon, the wedding ceremony, and more. The type and character of the illustrations became a model that was copied in many other books on the same subject, not always with the same anti-Semitic blood accusations. These etchings provided a contemporary researcher with significant information regarding Jewish costume and customs.

Jüdisches Ceremoniel epitomizes the necessary cooperation between converted Jews and Christian Hebraists. While former Jews possessed first-hand knowledge of Jewish beliefs, customs, and language; the Hebraists often had a more extensive education. And, as with other early works on Judaism, the images in Jüdisches Ceremoniel have substantial documentary value, even when the text is critical of Judaism.

226, 26 pp., 30 pls.