The first encylopedic guide to the history of relations between Jews and Muslims around the world This is the first encyclopedic guide to the history of relations between Jews and Muslims around the world from the birth of Islam to today. Richly illustrated and beautifully produced, the book features more than 150 authoritative and accessible articles by an international team of leading experts in history, politics, literature, anthropology, and philosophy. Organized thematically and chronologically, this indispensable reference provides critical facts and balanced context for greater historical understanding and a more informed dialogue between Jews and Muslims. Part I covers the medieval period; Part II, the early modern period through the nineteenth century, in the Ottoman Empire, Africa, Asia, and Europe; Part III, the twentieth century, including the exile of Jews from the Muslim world, Jews and Muslims in Israel, and Jewish-Muslim politics; and Part IV, intersections between Jewish and Muslim origins, philosophy, scholarship, art, ritual, and beliefs. The main articles address major topics such as the Jews of Arabia at the origin of Islam; special profiles cover important individuals and places; and excerpts from primary sources provide contemporary views on historical events. Contributors include Mark R. Cohen, Alain Dieckhoff, Michael Laskier, Vera Moreen, Gordon D. Newby, Marina Rustow, Daniel Schroeter, Kirsten Schulze, Mark Tessler, John Tolan, Gilles Veinstein, and many more. Covers the history of relations between Jews and Muslims around the world from the birth of Islam to today - Written by an international team of leading scholars - Features in-depth articles on social, political, and cultural history - Includes profiles of important people (Eliyahu Capsali, Joseph Nasi, Mohammed V, Martin Buber, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, Edward Said, Messali Hadj, Mahmoud Darwish) and places (Jerusalem, Alexandria, Baghdad) - Presents passages from essential documents of each historical period, such as the Cairo Geniza, Al-Sira, and Judeo-Persian illuminated manuscripts - Richly illustrated with more than 250 images, including maps and color photographs - Includes extensive cross-references, bibliographies, and an index *Starred Review* Muslims and Jews have lived side by side ever since the advent of Islam. As a result, Muslim and Jewish dimensions of spiritual, social, political, economic, and intellectual life have influenced each other in sometimes surprising ways. Although contemporary media may portray Muslim-Jewish relations from only the perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli lens, and view Muslims and Jews as monolithic, this book presents a far deeper and richer relationship between Muslims and Jews in areas that go beyond politics and religion. The book is divided into three parts, with each part consisting of three to seven chapters. Each chapter is composed of about half a dozen essays of varying lengths. The first part focuses on the Middle Ages. The chapters thematically explore Muslim-Jewish relationships under differing political systems. The first chapter looks at the relationship during the emergence of Islam, the second in the Muslim lands, and the third in Christendom. The second part looks at Muslim-Jewish relations roughly between the sixteenth century and the demise of the Ottoman Empire (at the end of WWI). The chapters (and essays) are geographically segmented. The main focus in part 3 is the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Part 4 is the longest (and perhaps the most interesting) part of this reference. Titled “Transversalities,” it explores how Muslim-Jewish relations have influenced both Muslim and Jewish religious, intellectual, linguistic, and artistic endeavors. Most essays are followed by an additional related essay titled “Nota Bene,” which sharpens the focus of the original essay; and many of them are accompanied by a counterpoint from historical texts as well. There are two minor issues with this reference: a detailed table of contents is at the back of the volume (instead of the front), and a time line of events is conspicuously missing. The essays presented here provide the general reader with a flavor of the rich Muslim-Jewish relationship since early Islam. An excellent reference for high-school students,general readers looking for more depth than current media coverage, and undergraduates looking for a starting point in their research. --Muhammed Hassanali "One of the Outstanding Reference Sources for 2014, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), American Library Association" "One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014" "Although contemporary media may portray Muslim-Jewish relations from only the perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli lens, and view Muslims and Jews as monolithic, this book presents a far deeper and richer relationship between Muslims and Jews in areas that go beyond politics and religion. . . . The ess