The Open University of Israel
Prof. Ora Limor

Prof. Ora Limor

Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies

Updated: May 2011


 

Personal

Tel: 972-9-778-1191

Fax: 972-9-778-1416

E-mail: orali@openu.ac.il

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Education

1985 Ph.D., History, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Dissertation: The Disputation of Majorca 1286: A Critical Edition and Introduction.
Supervisor: Prof. Benjamin Z. Kedar
1979 M.A., History, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Thesis: Christian Traditions of the Mount of Olives in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages
Supervisor: Prof. Amnon Linder
1969 B.A., History and Political Science, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
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Fields of Research
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Academic Positions

2009-2010 Fellow, Clare Hall, Cambridge U.K.
2005-2009 Vice President for Academic Affairs, The Open University of Israel
2004 Fellow, The Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, Philadelphia
2003 - Professor, The Open University of Israel
2000-2001 Fellow, The Institute for Advanced Studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1999-2000 Fellow, The Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, Philadelphia
1996-2003 Associate Professor, The Open University of Israel
1993-1994 Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin)
1991-1996 Senior Lecturer, The Open University of Israel
1991-1992 Honorary fellow, University College, London
1986-1991 Lecturer, The Open University of Israel
1980 - Lecturer and researcher, Yad Ben-Zvi, Jerusalem
1980-1986 Instructor, History Department, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
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Administrative Activities

2003-2005 Head, Subcommittee for Humanities and Judaic Studies, The Open University
2001-2005 Head, Steering Committee, The Research Authority, The Open University
1998-1999 Member, The Appointment Committee, The Open University
1997-1999 Chair, Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies, The Open University
1995 - Member, Academic Committee, The Open University
1990-1999 Member, Committee for the Recognition of Prior Studies, The Open University
1987-1990 Member, Scholarship Committee, The Open University
1986 - Member, Subcommittee for Humanities and Judaic Studies, The Open University of Israel
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Other Professional Activities

2007 Member, The Israel Prize Committee in the Study of Eretz Israel
2005-2009 Member, Board of Directors, The World Union of Jewish Studies
2005 - Member, Council of the World Congress of Jewish Studies
2004-2009 Member, Executive Committee, The Open University
2004-2009 Member, Open University Council
2004-2006 Member, Board of Directors, The Historical Society of Israel
2002 Member, Scientific Committee for the Annual Conference of the Historical Society of Israel
2000 - Member, Committee of the Historical Society of Israel
1999-2002 Member, Scientific Board, The Center for the Study of Christianity, The Hebrew University
1998 Member, The Israel Prize Committee in Jewish History, Archaeology and the Study of Eretz Israel
1996-1999 Member, Board of Directors, The Historical Society of Israel
1996-1998 Head of Team, Judaism and Christianity, Center for the Instruction of Jewish Studies, The Hebrew University
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Teaching Responsibility for OUI Courses
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Other Teaching Experience

2009-2010 Guest lecturer: Medieval Seminar, Queen Mary, London; Divinity Faculty, Cambridge; School of Oriental Studies, Oxford; Oxford Center for Jewish and Hebrew Studies
Summer 2008 NEH Summer Workshop on The Holy Land, Yarnton, Oxford University
2004 Guest Lecturer: Medieval Seminar, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
2000 Guest Lecturer: Medieval Seminar, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
1999 MA seminar, Department of Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1993-1994 Guest Lecturer:
  • Institut fur Judaistic, Freie Universität, Berlin
  • Medieval Seminar, Universität Konstanz
1991-1992 Guest Lecturer:
  • Medieval Seminar, Oxford University
  • Medieval Seminar, Cambridge University
  • University College, London
  • Seminar Director, The Warburg Institute, London
1980-1986 The Hebrew University, History Department, Instructor
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Sponsored Research

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Research Grants and Scholarships

2004 The Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, Philadelphia
2000-2001 Institute for Advanced Studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1999-2000 The Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, Philadelphia
1993-1994 Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin)
1982-1985 PhD Scholarships, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
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Awards

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Membership on Editorial Boards

2009 Editor, Madaei Hayahadut (Jewish Studies)
2004-2006 Editor, Historia (Journal of the Historical Society of Israel)
2004 - Member, Editorial Board, Zmanim
1995-2004 Member, Scientific Editorial Board of Yad Ben-Zvi
1995-1999 Editor, Cathedra (Scientific quarterly for the research of Eretz Israel)
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Referee of Articles in Journals

1996-2010
  • Zion
  • Tarbiz
  • Historia
  • Cathedra
  • Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies
  • The Jewish Quarterly Review

Reports for Refereed Publications

2002 Evaluation of books for Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies and for Magnes Press
2000 Evaluation of a book for Yad Ben-Zvi Press
1999 Evaluation of a book for Bar Ilan University Press
1996 Evaluation of a research proposal for the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF)
1994, 2008-2011 Evaluation of research proposals for the Israel Science Foundation
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Membership in Professional Societies

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Supervision of Higher Degrees

Student Degree
Yamit Rachman-Shrira Ph.D., History of Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2009
Lubov Tchernin Ph.D., Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2009
Pnina Arad Ph.D., History of Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2008
Rivka Fishman-Duker Ph.D., Comparative Religion, The Hebrew University, 2002
Eyal Ben Eliahu Ph.D., Jewish History, The Hebrew University, 2001
Roli Silberstein Ph.D., Comparative Religion, The Hebrew University, 2000
Rina Guth Ph.D., History of Art, The Hebrew University, 1999
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List of Publications

 

Books and Monographs

  1. Sepher Ha-Nizzahon by Yom-Tov Lipmann Mühlhausen: A Critical Edition, with Israel I. Yuval (forthcoming).
  2. Holy Land Travels: Christian Pilgrims in the Early Middle Ages (Hebrew translations from the Latin, introductions and notes), Yad Ben-Zvi, Jerusalem, forthcoming (c. 250 pp.).
  3. Holy Land Travels: Christian Pilgrims in Late Antiquity (Hebrew translations from the Latin, introductions and notes), Yad Ben-Zvi, Jerusalem 1998 (275 pp.).
  4. Die Disputationen zu Ceuta (1179) und Mallorca (1286): Zwei antijudische Schriften aus dem mittelalterlichen Genua, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Quellen zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters 15, München 1994 (350 pp.).
  5. The Disputation of Majorca 1286: A Critical Edition and Introduction (2 vols., Latin text and Hebrew Introduction). Publications of the School of Graduate Studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 1985 (Vol. I: 250 pp.; Vol. II: 140 pp.).
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Edited Books

  1. Ora Limor and Meir Litvak (eds.), Religious Radicalism, Merkaz Shazar, Jerusalem 2008 (in Hebrew).
  2. Amir Horowitz, Ora Limor, Ram Ben-Shalom and Avriel Bar-Levav (eds.), The Past and Beyond: Studies in History and Philosophy Presented to Elazar Weinryb, The Open University, Tel Aviv 2006 (in Hebrew).
  3. Ora Limor and Guy G. Stroumsa (eds.), Christians and Christianity in the Holy Land: From the Origins to the Latin Kingdoms, Brepols, Turnhout 2006.
  4. Yom-Tov Assis, Jeremy Cohen, Ora Limor and Michael Toch (eds.), Facing the Cross: The Persecutions of 1096 in History and Historiography, Magnes Press, Jerusalem 2000, 217+ XIV pp. (in Hebrew).
  5. Ora Limor and Guy G. Stroumsa (eds.), Contra Iudaeos: Ancient and Medieval Polemics Between Christians and Jews, Mohr (Siebeck), Tübingen 1996, 290 pp.
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Chapters in Books and Encyclopedias

  1. "Conversion of Space," in Miri Rubin and Ira Katzenelson (eds.), Conversion: Practice and Perceptions (forthcoming).
  2. "Judas Iscariot: Revealer of the Hidden Truth" (with Israel Jacob Yuval), in Peter Schäfer, Michael Meerson and Yaacov Deutsch (eds.), Toledot Yeshu (The Life-Story of Jesus) Revisited, Tübingen (forthcoming 2011).
  3. "Early Pilgrimage Itineraries (333-1099)," in Brill's Encyclopedia of Medieval Pilgrimage, Leiden: Brill 2009.
  4. "The Erection of Essential Boundaries: Christians and Jews," in Miri Rubin and Walter Simon (eds.), The Cambridge History of Christianity IV: Christianity in Western Europe, c.1100-c.1500 (pp. 135-148), Cambridge University Press 2009.
  5. "Sharing Sacred Space: Holy Places in Jerusalem Between Christianity, Judaism and Islam," in Iris Shagrir, Ronnie Ellenblum and Jonathan Riley-Smith (eds.), In Laudem Hierosolymitani: Studies in Crusades and Medieval Culture in Honour of Benjamin Z. Kedar (pp. 219-231), Ashgate, Aldershot 2007.
  6. "Polemics, Literature and History," in Amir Horowitz, Ora Limor, Ram Ben-Shalom and Avriel Bar-Levav (eds.), The Past and Beyond: Studies in History and Philosophy Presented to Elazar Weinryb (pp. 79-98), Tel Aviv, The Open University 2006 (Hebrew).
  7. "'Holy Journey': Pilgrimage and Christian Sacred Landscape," in Ora Limor and Guy G. Stroumsa (eds.), Christians and Christianity in the Holy Land (pp. 321-353), Turnhout 2006.
  8. "Skepticism and Conversion: Jews, Christians and Doubters in Sefer ha-Nizzahon" (with Israel J. Yuval), in Allison Coudert and Jeffrey Shoulson (eds.) Hebraica Veritas? Christian Hebraists and the Study of Judaism in Early Modern Europe (pp. 159-180), University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 2004.
  9. "Jews as Heretics" in Norman Roth (ed.), Medieval Jewish Civilization. An Encyclopedia (pp. 330-332), Routledge, New York 2003.
  10. "With His Own Eyes: Pilgrims and Writers in Early Medieval Europe," in Elchanan Reiner and Yossi Ben-Arzi (eds.), Yehuda Yaale (pp. 383-409), Yad Ben Zvi, Jerusalem 2003 (in Hebrew).
  11. "Reading Sacred Space: Egeria, Paula, and the Christian Holy Land," in Yitzhak Hen (ed.), De Sion exibit lex et verbum domini de Hierusalem. Essays on Medieval Law, Liturgy and Literature in Honour of Amnon Linder (pp. 1-15), Brepols, Turnhout 2001.
  12. "Antonini Placentini Itinerarium," "Arculf," "Bordeaux Pilgrim," in John Block Friedman and Kristen Mossler Figg (eds.), Trade, Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages, An Encyclopedia, New York and London 2000.
  13. "Christians Pilgrims in the Byzantine period," in Y. Tsafrir and S. Safrai (eds.), The History of Jerusalem. The Roman and Byzantine Period 70-638 CE (pp. 391-415), Jerusalem 1999 (in Hebrew). An updated English translation is forthcoming.
  14. "Religionsgespräche Chr.-Jud.," Theologische Realencyclopädie (Vol. XXVIII, pp. 649-654), Berlin-New York 1997.
  15. "The Epistle of Samuel of Morocco. A Best-Seller in the World of Polemics," in Ora Limor and Guy G. Stroumsa (eds.), Contra Iudaeos: Ancient and Medieval Polemics between Christians and Jews (pp. 177-194), Tübingen 1997.
  16. "A Rejected People. Jews and Christians in Medieval Europe," in Nicholas de Lange (ed.), The Illustrated History of the Jewish People (pp. 87-139), Toronto 1997.
  17. "Christian Sacred Space and the Jew," in Jeremy Cohen (ed.), From Witness to Witchcraft: Jews and Judaism in Medieval Christian Thought (pp. 55-77) Wolfenbütteler Mittelalter-Studien, 11, Wiesbaden 1996.
  18. "Polemic Literature," in The Shorter Jewish Encyclopaedia in Russian (Vol. 6, pp. 586-591), Jerusalem 1992.
  19. "King David's Tomb on Mt. Zion: The Origins of a Tradition," in D. Jacoby & Y. Tsafrir (eds.), Jews, Samaritans and Christians in Byzantine Palestine (pp. 11-23), Jerusalem 1988 (in Hebrew).
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Articles in Refereed Journals

  1. Judas Ischariot - der Künder verborgener Wahrheit, (with Israel Jacob Yuval), MünchnerBeiträge zur jüdischen Geschichte und Kultur, 5 (2011), pp. 24-24.
  2. Polemical Varieties: Religious Disputations in 13th Century Spain, Iberia Judaica 2 (2010), pp. 55-79.
  3. Mary and the Jews: Story, Controversy, and Testimony, Historein 6 (2006), pp. 55-71.
  4. Pelagia's Tomb on the Mount of Olives: Sin, Repentance, Salvation, Cathedra 118 (2006), pp. 13-40 (in Hebrew).
  5. Oedipus in Christian Garb: The Legend of Judas Iscarioth, Zmanim 91 (2005), pp. 12-21 (with Israel J. Yuval, in Hebrew).
  6. Charlemagne's Holy Land, Zmanim 89 (2005), pp. 78-83 (in Hebrew).
  7. Mary and the Jews: Three Witness Stories, Alpayim-A Multidisciplinary Publication for Contemporary Thought and Literature 28 (2005), pp. 129-151 (in Hebrew).
  8. Pilgrims and Authors: Adomnán's De locis sanctis and Hugeburc's Hodoeporicon Sancti Willibaldi, Revue Bénédictine 114 (2004), pp. 253-275.
  9. In the Palace of Barcelona and the Market of Majorca-Towards a New Typology of Religious Disputations in the Middle Ages, Pe'amim 94-95 (2003), pp. 105-134 (in Hebrew).
  10. Judaism Examines Christianity: The Polemic of Nestor the Priest and Sefer Toledot Yeshu, Pe'amim, Studies in Oriental Jewry 75 (1998), pp. 109-128 (in Hebrew).
  11. The Place of the End of Days: Eschatological Geography in Jerusalem, Journal of Jewish Art (The Real and the Ideal Jerusalem in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Art) 23 (1997/8), pp. 13-24.
  12. Christian Tradition-Jewish Authority, Cathedra 80 (1996), pp. 31-62 (in Hebrew).
  13. Beyond Barcelona (a review essay on Robert Chazan's Barcelona and Beyond. The Disputation of 1263 and Its Aftermath, 1992), Jewish History 9 (1995), pp. 107-112.
  14. Missionary Merchants: Three Medieval Anti-Jewish Works from Genoa, The Journal of Medieval History 17 (1991), pp. 35-51.
  15. Religious Disputations in Mediterranean Ports, Pe'amim, Studies in Oriental Jewry 45 (1990), pp. 32-44 (in Hebrew).
  16. The Origins of a Tradition: King David's Tomb on Mt. Zion, Traditio 44 (1988), pp. 453-462.
  17. An Urgent Call for Aid to Jerusalem (September 1987), Cathedra 46 (1987), pp. 3-7 (in Hebrew).
  18. Egeria on Mount Nebo, Cathedra 27 (1983), pp. 49-68 (in Hebrew).
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Open University Publications (in Hebrew)

*  Signifies original personal research contributions that were not published elsewhere.

  1. Jews and Christians in Western Europe. Encounter between Cultures in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
    1993-1997, 5 volumes
    Authored:
    Unit 1: Jacob and Esau, 1993 (151 pp.) *
    Unit 2: Majority and Minority (with Amnon Raz Krakozkin), 1993 (145 pp.)
    Unit 3: Resemblance and Difference, 1993 (130 pp.)
    Unit 5: The Jewish-Christian Debate, 1993 (256 pp.) *
    Unit 6: "Hebraica Veritas" (with Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin), 1993 (145 pp.)
    Unit 8: Images of the Past (with Israel I. Yuval), 1997 (130 pp.) *
    Unit 9: The Blood Libel, 1995 (160 pp.) *
    Edited:
    Unit 4: Jews before Christian Courts of Justice: The Jewish Oath, 1993
    Unit 7: Faith and Reason, 1993
    Unit 10: The Anusim, 1997
    Unit 11: Jews and Christians in the Age of the Reformation, 1997


  2. The Beginnings of Europe: Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages
    4 volumes, 2003)
    Authored:
    Unit 1: Early Christianity *
    Unit 3: The Frankish Kingdoms Under the Merovingians
    Unit 6: Church, Monasticism and Mission *
    Edited:
    Unit 2: The Barbarians
    Unit 4: The Frankish Kingdoms Under the Carolingians
    Unit 5: Society and Economy in the Frankish Kingdom
    Unit 7: The Carolingian Renaissance
    Unit 8: On the Borders of Europe (Byzantium and Islam)
    Unit 9: The Mediterranean Sea in the Early Middle Ages (The Pirenne Thesis)


  3. Pilgrimage: Jews, Christians, Muslims
    Authored:
    Vol. 1: Course Book (with Elchanan Reiner), forthcoming (250-300 pp.) *
    Edited:
    Vol. 2: Reader (co-edited with Elchanan Reiner), 2006 (600 pp.)
    Vol. 3: Documents (co-edited with Elchanan Reiner), 2006


  4. Early Christianity (with Dr. Rivka Nir)


  5. Eretz Israel Between Christians and Muslims (324-1187), forthcoming
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Papers in Conference Proceedings

"The Epistle of Samuel of Morocco: A polemic Bestseller," Proceedings of the Tenth World Congress of Jewish Studies, 1990, pp. 93-100 (in Hebrew).

"Three Anti-Jewish Disputations from Medieval Genoa," Proceedings of the Ninth World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem 1986, pp.79-86 (in Hebrew).

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Book Reviews

  1. Review of: Petrus Alfonsi, Dialogue Against the Jews, translated by Irven M. Resnick, Pe'amim (2011).
  2. Review of: Letters from the East: Crusaders, Pilgrims and Settlers in the 12th-13th Centuriestranslated and edited by Malcolm Barber and Keith Bate, Series: Crusade Texts in Translation 18. Farnham: Ashgate, 2010, in The Medieval Review online, May 2011.
  3. Review of: Roman Barbarians: The Royal Court and Culture in the Early Medieval West, by Yitzhak Hen, Historia 24 (2010), pp. 61-64.
  4. Review of: Christ Killers: The Jews and the Passion from the Bible to the Great Screen, by Jeremy Cohen, Zmanim 109 (2010), pp. 112-115.
  5. Review of: The Ways that Never Parted: Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, edited by Adam H. Becker and Annette Yoshiko Reed, Zion 70 (2005), pp. 242-247.
  6. Review of: Jerusalem: Its Sanctity and Centrality for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, by Lee I. Levine, The Jewish Quarterly Review 94 (2004), pp. 400-402.
  7. Review of: Women in a Medieval Heretical Sect: Agnes and Huguette the Waldensians, by Shulamith Shahar, Historia 9 (2002), pp. 139-144.
  8. Review of: Gentile Tales. The Narrative Assault on Late Medieval Jews, by Miri Rubin, Zion 66 (2001), pp. 396-404.
  9. The Jewish-Christian Controversy. From the Earliest Times to 1789, by Samuel Krauss and William Horbury, Tarbiz 69 (2000), pp. 151-155.
  10. Review of: Communities of Violence: Perception of Minorities in the Middle Ages, by David Nirenberg, Zion 63 (1999), pp. 476-482.
  11. Review of: Devils, Women, and Jews: Reflections of the Other in Medieval Sermon Stories, by Joan Young Gregg, The Medieval Review, 1999.
  12. Review of: Biblical Prophets in Byzantine Palestine, by David Satran, Cathedra 87 (1998), pp. 169-174.
  13. Review of: Die Christlichen Adversus-Judaeos-Texte und ihr literarisches und historisches Umfeld (13.-20. Jh.), by Heinz Schreckenberg, The Jewish Quarterly Review 88 (1997), pp. 82-84.
  14. Review of: Religions-gespräche im Mittelalter, edited by Bernard Lewis and Friedrich Niewoehner, Deutsches Archiv 50 (1994), pp. 401-402.
  15. Review of: Daggers of Faith: Thirteenth Century Christian Missionizing and Jewish Response, by Robert Chazan, Deutsches Archiv 46 (1990), pp. 257-258.
  16. Review of: The Friars and the Jews: The Evolution of Medieval Anti Judaism, by Jeremy Cohen, Ithaca and London 1982, Zion 51 (1987), pp. 113-118.
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Selected Papers at Scientific Conferences

  1. "Mary in Jerusalem: An Imaginary Map," International Conference: Visual Constructs of Jerusalem (Jerusalem, November 2010).
  2. "Judas Iscariot, Revealer of a Secret Truth" (with Israel J. Yuval), Sepher Toledoth Yeshu Workshop, (Princeton, November 2009)
  3. "Ways of Writing: Travel Narratives in Early Christianity," International Congress: Holy Cities and Pilgrimage: Jerusalem-Santiago de Compostela (Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2008)
  4. "Conversion of Space," Religion and the State (Cambridge, UK, 2006)
  5. "Mary in Jerusalem," International Congress: In the Wake of Pilgrims to the Holy Land (Jerusalem, 2005)
  6. "Eastern Sights in Western Eyes: The Sacred Map of Mary," CISH International Congress (Sidney, Australia, 2005)
  7. "Mary and the Jews: Three Witness Stories," Religions in Conflict (Volos, Greece, 2004)
  8. "Sharing Sacred Space: Christians, Jews and Moslems in Jerusalem," Defining the Holy: Sacred Space in Medieval and Early Modern Europe (Exeter, England, 2003)
  9. "Reversed Mirror: Jewish Rituals in Christian Eyes," Jews and Judaism Through the Eyes of 'Others' (Jerusalem, 2001)
  10. Millennial Pursuits: Expectations of the End in the Middle Ages (Jerusalem, 2001), organizer and commentator
  11. "Christianity versus Judaism in the Eyes of Yom Tov Lipmann Mühlhausen," Hebraica Veritas? (Philadelphia, 2000)
  12. "Jews Read the Gospels," New Narratives of Jewish-Christian Co-emergence (Chicago, 2000)
  13. "Rereading the Holy Land," Technologies of Conversion: Transformations of Belief and Practice in Pre-Modern Europe (Princeton, 2000)
  14. "The Formation of the Sacred Map," Christians and Christianity in the Holy Land (Jerusalem, 1999)
  15. "Polemics and Conversion: The Impact of Polemical Literature," International Medieval Congress (Leeds, 1997)
  16. "Sites of Discourse: The Scenery of Religious Disputations," The Public Sphere (Jerusalem, 1997)
  17. Juden und Christen zur Zeit der Kreuzzuge (Reichenau, 1996), commentator
  18. "The Mount of Olives and the End of Times," The Real and the Ideal Jerusalem in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Art (Jerusalem, 1996)
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