39

Starting with Colette Beaune’s foundational works, Medievalists have demonstrated the pertinence of the concept of nation for understanding state-building in the late Middle Ages. However, studies focusing on a possible Medieval “Jewish nation” have long been lacking. After emphasizing the methodological precautions necessary for approaching this sensitive subject, we examine the sources, Latin and Hebrew, exegetical and practical, in order to identify the terminology that could express this notion in the Medieval period. We attempt to clarify the meanings of the terms natio iudeorum or gens iudeorum found in the documents based on contemporary thinking regarding nationhood in the Middle Ages, and especially based on sentiments expressed by Medieval people themselves.