The Jews of Khazaria (Hardcover)

by Kevin Alan Brook (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"... a most useful introduction to the at times enigmatic, but always fascinating people." -- (Peter B. Golden, Professor of History, Rutgers University, 1999)

"...represents a modern effort to unravel the mysteries which still surround the Khazars." -- (J.D. Klier, Professor of Modern Jewish History University College, London, 1999)

The history and fate of the Khazars have exercised a fascination in the thousand years since the collapse of their mighty steppe empire in 970 C.E. The Khazars, whose ruling classes converted to Judaism, disputed with both the Islamic world and the early Russian state for control of the northern shores of the Black Sea. Their reputation was so great, and the legends surrounding them so powerful, that Jews in far-away Spain made efforts to contact them. This book represents a modern effort to unravel the mysteries which still surround the Khazars. It makes skillful use of the vast literature, in many different languages, related to the Khazars. It will be a very helpful guide for the general reader who wishes to discover the truth about this legendary people -- John D. Klier, Professor of Modern Jewish History, University College, London

The origins and history of the Khazars, a Turkic people who converted to Judaism sometime in the eighth-ninth century C.E., remains one of the most complex questions in the history of Medieval Eurasia.... The sources for Khazar history are extremely varied, representing all of the major cultural groups and languages of Eurasia (Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Persian, Turkic, Greek, Latin, Slavic, Georgian, Armenian, and Chinese). Kevin Alan Brook has put together an absorbing account of their history based on this wide array of sources, supplemented by archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic data dealing with Khazar Jewry and their legacy. This is a most useful introduction to this at times enigmatic, but always fascinating people -- Peter B. Golden, Professor of History, Rutgers University

presents the findings of an impressive array of scholarship... the Khazar experience is intrinsic to the narrative of Jewish history. -- Seth Ward, The Jewish Quarterly Review, January-April 2001

Product Description
As a major world power, Khazaria enjoyed diplomatic and trade relations with many peoples and nations and changed the course of medieval history in many ways. After their conversion, the Khazars were ruled by a succession of Jewish kings and began to adopt the hallmarks of Jewish civilization, including the Torah and Talmud, the Hebrew script, and the observance of Jewish holidays. A portion of the empire's population adopted Christianity and Islam.

This volume traces the development of the Khazars from their early beginnings as a tribe to the decline and fall of their kingdom. It also examines the many migrations of the Khazar people into Hungary, Ukraine, and other areas of Europe and their subsequent assimilation, providing the most comprehensive treatment of this complex issue to date. The final chapter enumerates the Jewish communities of eastern Europe that sprung up after the fall of Khazaria and proposes that the Jews from the former Russian Empire are descended from a mixture of Khazar Jews, German Jews, Greek Jews, and Slavs.

The Jews of Khazaria draws upon the latest archival, linguistic, and archaeological discoveries. Ashkenazic Jews who wish to explore their distant ancestry in eastern Europe will greatly benefit from reading this book. Additionally, Hungarians, Slavs, Turks, Arabs, and Ossetians will find a wealth of information concerning the historical interactions between their peoples and the Khazars. Students of history who desire a thorough yet easy-to-read account of the Khazar kingdom will gain in their understanding of this important but previously obscure topic.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Jason Aronson (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765760320
• ISBN-13: 978-0765760326
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,736,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, the latest on Khazars, November 9, 1999

By	S. Dudin "slava du" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book not only traces the history of the people of Khazaria, brings the latest archeological data and links between Khazars and East European peoples it highlights every detail of their conversion to Judaism, their political and religious influence, their military might. Indeed everything is supported by a comprehensive set of documents and articles. Very rich bibliography although it'd be good to see more visual material (maps, etc.). Great effort to deliver an exciting aspect of our history.

77 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, March 21, 2001

By	"epeysakh" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Brook does an excellent job in broaching this topic that many have attempted before him, and I'm sure many will attempt after. Considering how little is known about Khazaria, how much history has been either censored or re-written by the former Soviet Union, and the relatively sparse amount of archaelogical work that has been conducted in the region, Brook brings much information to light, detailing the tribal and linguistic origins of the Khazars. In comparison with Koestler's "The Thirteenth Tribe," Brook's work is more about presenting facts than coming to conclusions.

I would encourage everyone interested in this book, this subject and in modern Judaism in general to remember that 'conclusions' are based on current and past knowledge, not on future discoveries. Sarkel is still under water and will continue to be for the foreseeable future -- who knows what information it holds? People have been twisting the ideas and findings discussed in "The Thirteenth Tribe" and "The Jews of Khazaria" to promote hatred for Jews for quite some time. That's not the purpose of these works, as Arthur Koestler himself addressed at the end of "The Thirteenth Tribe."

I've also used the bibliography to further my own knowledge, although I have found that many of the sources are out-of-print.

I look forward to learning more about the Khazars, who they were and who they became -- for today, I highly recommend Brook's "The Jews of Khazaria." It is excellently written, a fascinating work and will open it's readers eyes to some lesser known history.

Savor it, but don't rush to judgement!

51 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and interesting (albeit sometimes "dry"), August 8, 1999

By A Customer

The book aims to capture the history of Khazaria, a Jewish state near the Caspian sea that reigned between the 7th to 11th centuries, starting as a small tribe and growing in size and in power. The book is primarily based on archival and linguistic discoveries. The author starts in 650 AD when migration patterns westward and wars with the Muslim forces from the south brought to the fore of history the Khazar empire. Khazaria was located roughly between of present day Hungary from its east and Persia in its west. The Khazars, originally nomads known for their fierce fighting tradition, defended their region and became a loose state about mid 6thcentury.

The controversy about Khazar Jews and their intermingle with Jews in Lithuania, Poland and Rumania is discussed at the conclusion of the book. First, the author describes other incidents when non-Jewish tribes converted and became "children of Moses". Examples are brought from the Avars and Cumans in Europe, Edmoites in the middle east, and the "Children of Moses" in Ethopia, sometimes known as the Falshas.) Then author then contends that it is quite possible that Khazar Jews, now disbursed amongst several nations, intermarried with "local" or "genuine" jews, most notably in Lithuania as well as in Poland.

The book is somewhat `academic' in its discussion, but very readable. The book boasts in using "archeological" finds in its discussion; in fact, it mentions only a few such finds. It further fails to include maps, documents and other images that would have made it more interesting and `real'. Nonetheless, the writing is not `heavy' and the organization is intuitive. Each chapter can be read separately and the footnotes are worth gleaning over. Although some maps appear at the end of chapter 2, and some tables appear at the ends of chapters 3, 4 and 7, they hardly help illustrate the rich history narrated within the chapters.

For genealogists who are interested in the controversial around the origins of dark-hair or red-hair jews in Lithuania and Poland, I recommend reading a couple of introductory chapters and then skimming through to the end. For history buffs, I recommend reading the whole book and perhaps use a map to aid in the reading as there are numerous references to battles, invasions and travel routes that would be much easier to understand with a map at hand.

This is not an intro-to-genealogy or a how-to-start-genealogy book. I found the subject of Khazaria and the Jewish diaspora, and the narrative in The Jews of Khazaria enriching and expanding my 15 years of family history work. Therefor, I mostly recommend this book for genealogists with at least 5 years experience, with some idea about the origins of the families that arrived from the Pale of Settlement; Of course, independently, the subject of the empire of Khazraia is a rich with history and glamour. I find that the narrative of Khazaria and its place in Jewish history well narrated by Brook.