Anglo-Judaeus, or The History of the Jews … in England, W[illiam] H[ughes], London: 1656

56 pages (7 x 5 ¼ in.; 175 x 135 mm). pagination: (4), 52.  Minor staining, nearly insignificant; a few pinholes and very minor marginal tears, not affecting text at all. edges gilt; marbled papers; owners’ bookplates. Early nineteenth century polished calf, gilt tooled double fillet borders; inside boards bordered in gilt-tooled floral roll; backstrip, floral gilt tooling and gilt titles on leather labels, renewed.

In 1655, when Menasseh Ben Israel arrived in England to help persuade Oliver Cromwell to readmit the Jews to England after an absence of over three and a half centuries, he summarized the case for readmission in a petition: To His Highnesse the Lord Protector … the humble addresses of Menasseh ben Israel, … in behalfe of the Jewish nation. To support his cause Menasseh marshaled both utilitarian arguments demonstrating  the profitability to England of admitting Jews as well theological contentions that appealed to a widespread sense of Christian Millenialism that obtained among English Puritans.

The issue of whether or not to readmit the Jews was fiercely debated in the pages of competing tracts and pamphlets. Though Cromwell himself viewed Menasseh’s petition favorably, the proposal met with a considerable backlash as Englishmen opposed to the reentry let loose a torrent of verbal protest, including but not limited to the ugly resurrection of the blood libel. The author of this volume, William Hughes, is especially cynical regarding Menasseh’s assertion that the imminent Redemption rides on the Jews’ readmission to England. In the end, Cromwell took no formal action and dissolved the conference that was to debate the question. The lack of legislation one way or the other proved to be beneficial to the Jews in the long run as the following year, the Jews to England were granted rights to a cemetery and private prayer, thus effectively concretizing, de facto, their readmission.

Bookplates within the volume indicate that among its previous owners, were J. Creswell and Lee M. Friedman.

Further reference to this work may be found in: Cecil Roth, Magna Bibliotheca Anglo-Judaica, p. 208, no. 24; Todd Endelman, The Jews of Britain 1656 to 2000, pp. 20-27.