Judah Halevi 
The Kuzari 
Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion (Kitab al Khazari)

The Book of the Kuzari is one of the most famous works of the medieval Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet Judah Halevi. It is regarded as one the most important apologetic works of Jewish philosophy. The Kuzari takes place during a conversion of some Khazar nobility to Judaism. Divided into five parts it takes the form of a dialogue between a rabbi and a pagan. The pagan is then mythologized as the king of the Khazars who has invited the rabbi to instruct him in the tenets of Judaism. The Kuzari’s emphasis is on the uniqueness of the Jewish people. The ideas and style of the work played an important role in debates within the Haskalah or Jewish Enlightenment movement.

About the author

Judah Halevi (1075-1141) was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. Halevi is considered one of the greatest Hebrew poets, celebrated both for his religious and secular poems, many of which appear in present-day liturgy. His greatest philosophical work was The Kuzari.