Dark Mirror: The Medieval Origins of Anti-Jewish Iconography

In her study of the presentation of Jews in medieval art, Lipton (Images of Intolerance) offers a “dizzying array of the images of Hebrew, Jews, and Jew-like figures.” Starting in the 11th century, Lipton begins with the symbolic “Jewish hat,” which has long puzzled scholars. Her theory that it derives from Eastern priestly sources is quite plausible, since Jews of that time in Europe dressed the same as Christians. As she traces the increasing commonality of portrayals of Jews as dark and ugly with big noses, her analyses grow more complicated. By the middle of the 12th century Jews are identified as symbols of the carnal desire for wealth and ostentation. Lipton dwells on the medieval exegesis that contrasted inner and outer spirituality, with the Jew as representative of the less sincere outer form. Moving up through the centuries, Lipton notes societal reasons, such as the rise of emphasis on the human Christ and his suffering, for the increased vilification of Jews. Speculation increases as she struggles to make sense of obscure, unique images, and Lipton concentrates so much on how Christians defined Jews that she overlooks the various sources on how Jews saw themselves. There is much here that scholars will find intriguing here, but some of the work would have benefitted from tighter organization. [em](Nov.) [/em]