Chapter 2 The Presence of the Hebrew Language and Literature in Inquisitorial Files against Judaizers from Medinaceli (Soria)
In: New Perspectives on Judeo-Spanish and the Linguistic History of the Sephardic JewsSearch for other papers by Manuel Nevot Navarro in
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Abstract
This study analyses records of inquisitorial files against Judaizers residing in the city of Medinaceli (1492–1530). They comprise bills of indictment, statements of witnesses, confessions of the defendants, and verdicts of the Inquisition, and are an important source for information about the learning process and proficiency in Hebrew, the possession of Hebrew books, and the knowledge of passages from the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinic literature. The scribes, who were not familiar with the Hebrew language, transcribed Hebrew words and passages into the Latin alphabet as they perceived them and according to the Spanish writing system. But knowledge of Hebrew was not restricted to such borrowings and quotations, and there is evidence for the occasional usage of spoken Hebrew for everyday purposes, as well as evidence that women had the ability to read translations into the vernacular using Hebrew script.