Introduction

1The only religious minority technically permitted to inhabit medieval Christendom was the Jews. During the medieval period the Jews were subjected to intolerance, violence and death. Ever since, historians and antiquaries have endeavoured to reconcile these uncomfortable narratives with their own national histories. This panel uses to case studies to consider the ways in which the experience of medieval Jews is presented in the modern world. The first case study focuses specifically upon the perception and representation of the Jews of medieval England using a number of different approaches. There is, however, a tendency within the historiography to treat England’s Jewish communities in isolation. Consequently, our second case study looks at a continental example in order to compare and contrast the portrayal of medieval Jews in the modern world.