Berechiah ben Natronai ha-Naqdan’s Works and Their Reception

Berechiah ben Natronai ha-Naqdan, the illustrious Jewish scholar from Rouen, was probably the most prolific writer among the twelfth century Jewish authors in France. While all his creations are truly remarkable, two are the focus of this book: Mishlei Shu'alim, the largest compilation of Aesopic fables ever written in Hebrew, and Dodi ve-Nekhdi, a translation of Adelard of Bath's Questiones Naturales. The ten studies gathered here, written by internationally renowned scholars from Europe, Israel and the United States, explore the richness and uniqueness of these two major books, as well as their sources and their reception. A number of these studies accentuate specific themes and motives, some of which are discussed here for the first time. Other studies relate to the linguistic particularities, examined here in a novel and original manner. We also present innovative studies on the Hebrew version of Questiones Naturales, and use vibrant examples to demonstrate the translations, adaptations and uses of Berechiah's works from the Middle Ages until the modern era. This volume is the result of an international workshop that was held in the Center for Jewish Studies in Palacky University in May 2015.