Judah Hallevi's Kitab al Khazari

Judah Hallevis Kitab al Khazari
translated by Hartwig Hirschfeld

A classic of Medieval Jewish philosophy, set in a legendary (but historical) central Asian kingdom.

Framed as a dialog between the king of the Khazars, a Central Asian kingdom, and a Rabbi, the Khazari is an exposition of late medieval Jewish philosophy. Legend has it that the king of the Khazars held a symposium to decide whether his people should convert to Judaism, Christianity or Islam. This book is a fictional account of the Jewish side of this debate.

Judah Ha-Levi, the author, was born about 1080 C.E. in Muslim-controlled area of southern Spain. This was a bright spot in the history of Jewish-Muslim relations, when Jewish communities prospered under a tolerant Islamic state, and scholarship flourished. He studied the Talmud and Kabbalah, wrote secular poetry, and was fluent both in Hebrew and Arabic. (This work was originally written in Arabic). Midlife he had an awakening which led him to write on more spiritual themes, and the resulting body of work is considered some of the best post-Biblical Jewish poetry.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five