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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Arie wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>> 1) Mediaeval generally
means between the fall of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:City>
in 476 (or even<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>earlier, from the split
between the Eatern and <st1:place w:st="on">Western Roman empire</st1:place>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>and the discovery of the <st1:place
w:st="on">New World</st1:place> in 1492. Jewishly, this is a very<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>long period. When we use the
adjective Mediaeval, we often think<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Rishonim, but this period
includes not only the Geonim and Rishonim,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>but also the Savoraim and
even some of the Amoraim. Hence, it doesn't<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>mean the Midrash is
particularly late.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Just to note:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal dir=RTL style='margin-right:.25in;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;mso-text-indent-alt:-.05in;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><![if !supportLists]><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font>1.<font
size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><span dir=RTL><font size=2><span
lang=HE style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The issue of periodization of Jewish medieval history has been an issue
for the last 30-40 years. See the article by haim Hillel ben sasson, in rezef
vetemurah, tel-aviv, pp. 359-378. his opinion is that jewish medieval history
starts with the rise of islam and arab conquests.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>See also Jacob kate, mechkarim bemadaei hayahadut, ed. m. bar-asher, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:City></st1:place> 1986, pp. 209-225.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>There is more by profs. C.z. dimitrovsky and moseh david heer.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I heard a lecture by the late prof. m breuer of the jewish history
department in bar ilan suggest other dates.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Almost no one views the Talmud period or even the post Talmud period as
medieval, especially in terms of rabbinic writings.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Then again, some ultra nationalists would suggest between 70 CE or 135
CE and 1948..<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The end of the period ranges from 1492 to 1648 to 1789. Harvard university
holds that jewish medieval history ends with the French revolution. So does Touro
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
which is run by a Harvard grad.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Shlomo </span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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