Nahmanides Debates a Convert Before the King of Aragon

In July 1263, King James I of Aragon convened an extraordinary formal theological encounter at his royal palace in Barcelona. The confrontation brought together Pablo Christiani, a Jewish convert to Christianity who had joined the Dominican order, and Nahmanides, a prominent Jewish scholar, philosopher, and commentator based in Girona. The event was initiated through Christiani's efforts and organized by Raymond de Penyafort, the former head of the Dominicans and confessor to the king. Christiani claimed that he could use the Talmud and other traditional rabbinic writings to demonstrate the truth of Christian doctrine to Jewish audiences, prompting the monarch to mandate a public scholarly confrontation.

Unlike many medieval religious disputations, which often took place under severe duress and coincided with violent outbreaks or the burning of Jewish holy books, the Barcelona proceedings were distinguished by a royal guarantee of free expression. When commanded to participate, Nahmanides agreed on the condition that he be granted complete freedom of speech. King James granted this protection, enabling Nahmanides to offer uninhibited defenses of his faith before an assembly that included the monarch, members of the royal court, knights, and high-ranking ecclesiastical dignitaries.