The Lulav: Early Modern Polemical Ethnographies and the Art of Fencing

In recent years, scholars have devoted a great deal of attention to the history scholarship in general and, more specifically, emergence critical historical and anthropological literature from within ecclesiastical scholarship. However, few studies discussed Jewish figures who took part this process. This paper analyzes role played by historiographical ethnographical writing seventeenth- eighteenth-century Italian Jewish–Christian polemics. Tracing various Christian polemical depictions rite shaking lulav (sacramental palm leaves used Jews during festival Sukkot), it discusses variety ways which responded these or circumvented them. These responses reflect scholars’ familiarity with prevailing contemporary key translation cultural transfers their own attempts create parallel works. Furthermore, presents new manuscript material relevant contexts, examines compose apologetic ethnographies, argues that engagement began earlier than period usually suggest