Jerusalem: A Treatise on Ecclesiastical Authority and Judaism, Vol. I

Moses Mendelssohn’s Jerusalem was part of his mission to improve the acceptance and position of Judaism in the late eighteenth century. In it he strongly argues a case for freedom of conscience, wherein no state has the right to impose religious restrictions or persecutions on its citizens. This volume contains a preface by translator M. Samuels, an English version of Mendelssohn’s German translation of Vindicaiae Judaeorum, by Menasseh Ben Israel, and Mendelssohn’s preface to Vindicaiae Judaeorum. Other contributions include an epistle to Mendelssohn titled, “Search for Light and Right,” a letter written to Mendelssohn during the Lavater controversy, Mendelssohn’s reply to Charles Bonnet, and notes on these works.