Jerusalem: Or on Religious Power and Judaism

A classic text of enduring significance, Moses Mendelssohns Jerusalem (1783) stands as a powerful plea for the separation of church and state and also as the first attempt to present Judaism as a religion eminently compatible with the ideas of the Enlightenment. Allan Arkushs new translation, drawing upon the great strides made by Mendelssohn research in recent decades, does full justice to contemporary insights into the subject while authentically reflecting a distinguished eighteenth-century text. Alexander Altmanns learned introduction opens up the complex structure and background of Mendelssohns ideas. His detailed commentary, keyed to the text, provides references to literary sources and interpretations of the philosophers intent.