Debates about Jesus and the Messiah in Jewish-Christian Disputations -The cases of Paris, Barcelona, Tortosa-

This study deals with Hebrew records of three religious disputations between Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages. The Paris Disputation took place in 1240, Barcelona in 1263, and Tortosa in 1413-1414. Debate records and documents provide insight into the social, religious, and political lives of Jews and Christians living in France and Spain at that time. All three of the Christian speakers at the debates were converts from Judaism. Jewish representatives were famous community leaders of the time. All three discussions took place at the request of the Christian community. Christian speakers used the Talmud to justify their claims in these debates although it had previously been seen as a dangerous book for Christianity. Especially passages against Jesus and Christians had been considered hazardous. Later, there was a radical change in the attitude of Christians towards the Talmud, and they began to use the Talmud as a source in favor of Christianity. Christian speakers claimed that the expected Messiah had already come, giving passages from the Talmud as proof.