Demons and exorcism have been topics of discussion across many cultures and times. In Christianity’s first four centuries, exorcism became associated with marginalized or vulnerable people, providing many implications for cultural and political thinking. In this video, Dr. Jonathan Henry explains what people of the past thought about demons, the steps they took for managing problems attributed to demons, and most crucially, what all of this can tell us about people themselves. This knowledge offers a window for understanding human nature and the practical impact of abstract beliefs. 

The Life of Thecla is the first English translation, with introduction and notes, of a fifth-century writing of a popular second-century noncanonical text (the Acts of Thecla), which tells the story of a young woman who leaves behind her life and family, and risks martyrdom twice, to follow the ascetic message of the apostle Paul. The Life gives readers insight into how this popular story was reimagined centuries later, at the lively shrine to St. Thecla. Gospel Thrillers explores conspiratorial fantasies about the Bible in U.S. cultures through dozens of modern novels that invent fantastic new gospel discoveries that plunge protagonists (and readers) into a world of danger and intrigue.

This video presents a brief description of sensory history as a method of historical inquiry. Our conversation considers the sensorial experiences of Muslim converts in Granada, Spain, following the Catholic conquest of the city and wider-region, in 1492. We reflect on how a broader study of the senses can bring us closer to the everyday lives of Granada’s converted population. Further, we discuss how these methods enrich our understanding of the past and contribute to the broader discipline of history. 

This video discusses the importance of synagogues to Jewish life in medieval Spain and explains why only a few of these buildings have survived to the present day. It shows that despite Christian authorities’ efforts to restrict the construction of new synagogues, many Jewish communities in Spain found ways to circumvent these prohibitions. The video focuses on the synagogues of Seville, where Archdeacon Ferrán Martínez’s campaign to demolish local Jewish places of worship paved the way for the anti-Jewish riots of 1391 and the conversion of Seville’s synagogues into churches. One of these churches, Santa María la Blanca, conceals the remnants of the medieval synagogue underneath its baroque-period plasterwork.   

This video explores some of the images of Jews and Judaism in the ‘Vernon manuscript’, an important and extensive record of popular culture and belief from late fourteenth-century England. The Vernon manuscript allows us to consider the representation of Jews and Judaism about a century after the Jews had been expelled from England, and helps us understand the symbolic importance of Jews in medieval Christian popular religion.

This video examines the story of one medieval Jewish woman who found her death when two Christian criminals attacked her home. It discussed her family, how we learn about this event via the writings of her husband, R. Eleazar of Worms and the deeds she is described doing during her life time. It also details some facts about Jewish life in medieval Worms. The video underlines the fact that her husband wrote about her after her death and suggests that if she hadn’t died, we would not have known that women like her existed. The video ends by suggesting that there were many more women like Dulcia in medieval Jewish society and urges its listeners to learn more about them.

This video examines vernacular notarial testaments produced by Jews in fifteenth-century Spain. Wills are an important source for medieval social history as they provide information about property, family relationships, and charity among others. It uses the will of Jamila Arueti as an example of the genre. Jamila left significant bequests to Jewish charity organizations and included stipulations to ensure that her granddaughter would be raised Jewish. Together these allow us to consider how Jews reacted to the emergence of the conversos and defined who belonged to their community.

This video provides a context for understanding Jewish life in medieval England, and examines the lives of several Jewish women living there in the thirteenth century. Documents prepared for English administration on behalf of the crown provide glimpses into the activities of these women, many of whom were successful and active members of their communities.

This video examines the myth of the medieval Polish Queen Esther, a story which became popular in 18th- and 19th-century literature. The myth was used to explain how Jews came to reside in Polish lands. The presentation focuses on the first known record of this second Queen Esther, found in Jan Długosz’ 15th century Chronicle of Poland. The story offers a brief view of tensions between Jews and Christians in 15th Century Poland, and further acts as an entry point for understanding how scholars can use chronicles as historical sources.

A gynocentric podcast on the ancient world, Women Who Went Before shares quality scholarship on ancient women in a creative and accessible form. Organized in thematic seasons, each episode interviews one scholar about their work. Hosts Rebekah Haigh and Emily Chesley introduce the topic to listeners, frame an array of primary and secondary sources, and draw creative connections to modern concerns in episode introductions and conclusions. The majority of each episode presents the conversation with the guest expert. 

This video focuses on a methodological approach to the study of Medieval Jewish art, using one peculiar example – the representation of Amalek in the Hammelburg Mahzor. The illuminator chose to depict Amalek as partially naked, an unusual and perplexing choice for a prayer book. Despite its seemingly scandalous appearance, this image was a carefully crafted companion to the liturgical text, included in the manuscript in order to help readers visualise and remember Amalek, thus achieving the goal of the accompanying text. Examining this image invites questions about how medieval artists used visual tools to enhance the interpretive power of their work and showcases the relationship between art and storytelling.

This video describes Jewish life in 13th century southern France according to the Song of the
Albigensian Crusade (Canso de la crozada) written in old Occitan by William of Tudela (Guilhèm de Tudèla). This presentation explains how one can learn about Jewish life during the period of the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) from this song, including details about their location in Languedoc, the changes they witnessed and suffered, and their relations with Christians, especially their local lords.

This video discusses covenantal bromances, a known social practice amongst traveling
Jewish men across Europe during the high and late Middle Ages. These were exclusive
relationships between two men based on trust and some emotional connection, they
sometimes included shared finances and were sometimes sealed with oaths. As far as we
know, they were non-sexual yet intimate friendships.

This video presents the portrayal of Bible study from a will written by Eliezer ben Shmuel HaLevi of Mainz in 1357. Bible study was integral to Jewish life and identity in medieval Ashkenaz, even beyond the Rabbis and scholarly circles who were involved in exegesis and polemics. This video considers Eliezer’s description of how, when, and where ordinary Jewish men and women should study the Bible, situating his suggestions against the backdrop of religious reading practices amongst Christian laity of the period. 

This video presents a brief introduction to the story of Licoricia of Winchester. Opening with the twenty-first century statue of Licoricia that now appears in Winchester’s City Center, the video launches into a retelling of important details in the life of this medieval English Jewish woman financier (or moneylender), Licoricia of Winchester.

This video explores the earliest illustrated Yiddish manuscripts, which were all illuminated by their Jewish scribe.  Such manuscripts are sometimes overlooked because of their amateurish style, but they offer a window to understanding the middle rank of Jewish society.  The video focuses on a book of customs that presents a  positive view of the Jewish religion and community, highlighting the roles of women in ritual observance.

This brief video considers the formal elements and design of a pair of medieval Jewish maps of the region around Jerusalem, sets them in the contexts of their production in Europe and their response to Jewish biblical commentary, compares them to more famous medieval Christian maps, and then attempts to explain key differences in these mapmaking traditions.

This video introduces a rebellion against the abbess of Sainte-Croix, Poitiers, Frankia in 590 described by Gregory of Tours. Factions of nuns debated who has the right to lead: women born to elite families or anyone from the community. Rebels protested mismanagement and corruption, and took violent action to draw attention to their grievances.

This video introduces students to Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Abdūn's (active between the late eleventh century and early twelfth century) risāla, which is a guide for medieval market inspectors. By providing students with a "slice of life" primary source, they can better understand the complex, nuanced ways that Muslims, Jews, and Christians interacted in al-Andalus.

What are Books of Hours, how do they work, and who read them? Can I really engage with manuscripts if I don't know Latin? This introductory exploration of Books of Hours offers a starting point from which anyone, including non-medievalists, can begin their study of the "bestseller" of the Late Middle Ages.