Zefira Entin Rokéah, ed. and trans. Medieval English Jews and Royal Officials: Entries of Jewish Interest in the English Memoranda Rolls, 1266–1293. Jerusalem: The Hebrew University Magnes Press, 2000. xxxvii, 514 pp.

Abstract

The title Medieval English Jews and Royal Officials whets the appetite for a rich exploration of the general policies of the English crown towards the Jews. What were the contradictions in royal policies from the Conquest to the expulsion, the relation between policy and implementation, and the capacity of the Jews to parry injurious policies or to encourage more generous ones? Unfortunately, the book that addresses these issues in a sophisticated contemporary way still remains to be written. The subtitle of the book under review here, Entries of Jewish Interest in the English Memoranda Rolls, 1266–1293, more accurately defines its content.