Living with the Law : Gender and Community Among the Jews of Medieval Egypt

__Living with the Law__ explores the marital disputes of Jews in medieval Islamic Egypt (1000–1250), and considers how ordinary Jews, especially women, experienced communal life under Islam and Jewish law. Oded Zinger concludes that the maintenance of a network of social relations with men protected women at different stages of their lives. __Living with the Law__ explores the marital disputes of Jews in medieval Islamic Egypt (1000–1250), relating medieval gossip, marital woes, and the voices of men and women of a world long gone. Probing the rich documents of the Cairo Geniza, a unique repository of discarded paper discovered in Cairo synagogue, the book recovers the life stories of Jewish women and men working through their marital problems at home, with their families, in the streets of old Cairo and in Jewish and Muslim courts. Despite a voluminous literature on Jewish law, the everyday practice of Jewish courts has only recently begun to be investigated systematically. The experiences of those at a legal, social, and cultural disadvantage allow us to go beyond the image propagated by legal institutions and offer a view “from below” of Jewish communal life and Jewish law as it was lived. Examining the interactions between gender and law in medieval Jewish communities under Islamic rule, Oded Zinger considers how women experienced Jewish courts and the pressure they were under to relinquish their monetary rights at court and at home. The tactics with which women countered this pressure, ranging from exploiting family ties to appealing to Muslim courts, expose the complex relationship between individual agency, gendered expectations, and communal authority. Zinger concludes that more than money, education, or lineage, it was the maintenance of a supportive network of social relations with men that protected women at different stages of their lives.

Living with the Law explores the marital disputes ofJews in medieval Islamic Egypt (1000-1250), relating medievalgossip, marital woes, and the voices of men and women of a worldlong gone. Probing the rich documents of the Cairo Geniza, a uniquerepository of discarded paper discovered in Cairo synagogue, thebook recovers the life stories of Jewish women and men workingthrough their marital problems at home, with their families, in thestreets of old Cairo and in Jewish and Muslim courts. Despite avoluminous literature on Jewish law, the everyday practice ofJewish courts has only recently begun to be investigatedsystematically. The experiences of those at a legal, social, andcultural disadvantage allow us to go beyond the image propagated bylegal institutions and offer a view "from below" of Jewish communallife and Jewish law as it was lived. Examining the interactionsbetween gender and law in medieval Jewish communities under Islamicrule, Oded Zinger considers how women experienced Jewish courts andthe pressure they were under to relinquish their monetary rights atcourt and at home. The tactics with which women countered thispressure, ranging from exploiting family ties to appealing toMuslim courts, expose the complex relationship between individualagency, gendered expectations, and communal authority. Zingerconcludes that more than money, education, or lineage, it was themaintenance of a supportive network of social relations with menthat protected women at different stages of their lives.

Living with the Law explores the marital disputes of Jews in medieval Islamic Egypt (1000–1250), relating medieval gossip, marital woes, and the voices of men and women of a world long gone. Probing the rich documents of the Cairo Geniza, a unique repository of discarded paper discovered in a Cairo synagogue, the book recovers the life stories of Jewish women and men working through their marital problems at home, with their families, in the streets of old Cairo, and in Jewish and Muslim courts. Despite a voluminous literature on Jewish law, the everyday practice of Jewish courts has only recently begun to be investigated systematically. The experiences of those at a legal, social, and cultural disadvantage allow us to go beyond the image propagated by legal institutions and offer a view "from below" of Jewish communal life and Jewish law as it was lived. Examining the interactions between gender and law in medieval Jewish communities under Islamic rule, Oded Zinger considers how women experienced Jewish courts and the pressure they faced to relinquish their monetary rights. The tactics with which women countered this pressure—ranging from exploiting family ties to appealing to Muslim courts—expose the complex relationship between individual agency, gendered expectations, and communal authority. Zinger concludes that, more than money, education, or lineage, it was the maintenance of a supportive network of social relations with men that protected women at different stages of their lives. Contents Jewish Marriage 101: In Lieu of a Glossary Notes on the Text Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1 The Legal Arena: A Social Interpretation Chapter 2 Gender and Status in Geniza Courts Chapter 3 Compromising Women: Gender and Property in Divorce and Married Life Chapter 4 The Ties That Bind: Kinship Support and Communal Participation Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index of Geniza Shelfmarks and Maimonidean Responsa Index Acknowledgments