King Artus: a Hebrew Arthurian Romance of 1279 - Medieval Studies

Publisher Marketing: An English translation of one of the most fascinating works in medieval Hebrew letters. A rarity, this refurbished Hebrew translation of an Arthurian romance is the only known text of its kind in existence. Based on the writings of an anonymous Italian Jew in 1279, the author presents two stories. The first relates Merlin's role in the seductions of Igerna by Pendragon and the consequent birth of Arthur. The second tells of Arthur's rise to royal glory, of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere, his meeting with the maid of Askalot and his skill at a jousting tournament. Leviant personally examined. He offers a readable version of that text in corrected Hebrew with English transliteration on facing pages and an analysis of Jewish aspects of the piece. He also traces its origins to an old French tale.

Contributor Bio:  Leviant, Curt Curt Leviant is author of six critically acclaimed novels: The Yemenite Girl, Passion in the Desert, The Man Who Thought He Was Messiah, Partita in Venice, Diary of an Adulterous Woman, and Ladies and Gentlemen, the Original Music of the Hebrew Alphabet and Weekend in Mustara (two novellas). He has won the Edward Lewis Wallant Award and writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Jerusalem Foundation and the New Jersey Arts Council.