why do the middle ages still matter?

why do the middle ages still matter?

Type of document       Essay   4 Pages Subject area     East European Studies          Academic Level            Undergraduate

Style    MLA     references       2

Order description:

Read the selections on Blackboard under “Readings” by Mark Cohen (“Under Crescent and

Cross, ch. 1”) and Martin Gilbert (“In the House of Ishmael, chs. 2-4”). Cohen discusses two very

different stereotyped views of the historical experience of Jews in the Islamic world (he

considers his own view, presented in the remainder of the book, to lie somewhere in the

middle). What are those views, and how does Cohen explain their emergence? Make a case for

which of the two views most accurately describes Gilbert’s work. Pay attention to the evidence

he presents, the evidence he omits, the way he presents his evidence, and the summary

comments he throws out – these are all useful in terms of assessing where he lies on the

spectrum. And be careful to acknowledge counterevidence. In other words, if it’s in the gray

zone, but arguably closer to white or to black, say that; don’t pretend it’s all one or the other

and ignore the stuff that doesn’t seem to fit. But I do want you to pick a side!