| This dissertation explores the encounter of philosophy and literature in the work of the fourteenth-century author, Immanuel of Rome. To date, no systematic investigation has considered Immanuel of Rome as a serious medieval intellectual, instead noting the bawdy nature of his poetry or his similarity to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Addressing this lacuna, this dissertation explores Immanuel’s complete intellectual profile by juxtaposing his literary poems and prose with his philosophical writings. A close study of his Hebrew literary journey through Heaven and Hell reveals that Immanuel struggled with notions of afterlife, and proposed a new interpretation of immortality.;Using the literary material in Immanuel’s Mahbarot, as well as his unedited extant biblical commentaries, only found in manuscript, I demonstrate that Immanuel was a thinker of rationalist orientation. Though gifted in rhetorical presentation, Immanuel explored philosophical issues through biblical exegesis. The sublime theme of Mahberet Ha-Tophet V’ Ha-Eden provided Immanuel the opportunity to wed his disparate fields of philosophy and literature into a journey tale with moralistic and philosophical significance. Importing his Maimonidean sensibilities, Immanuel created a space where individual and communal morality constitute prerequisite links in a chain to intellectual perfection, and immortality.;The journey also transmits Immanuel’s harsh social critiques of his contemporary society, revealing the flaws and praises of his peers and enemies alike. Written in melodious Hebrew rhymed prose, Mahberet Tophet V’ Eden’s searing images of punishment and glorious beatitude reflect Immanuel’s engagement with rabbinic and Italian culture. His fusion of medieval philosophy, Jewish tradition, and Dante’s Comedy serve to highlight that Immanuel was a polymath in an age preceding the Italian cultural Renaissance. |
