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Kevin Alan Brook
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The Jews of Khazaria Hardcover – January 1, 1999

by Kevin Alan Brook (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
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The Jews of Khazaria
The Jews of Khazaria
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The Jews of Khazaria recounts the eventful history of the Kingdom of Khazaria, which was located in Eastern Europe and flourished as an independent state from about the year 650 to the year 1016. In the ninth century, the Khazarian royalty and nobility, as well as a significant portion of the Khazarian population embraced the Jewish religion. This volume traces the develpment of the Khazars from their early beginnings as a tribe to the decline and fall of their kingdom. It also examines the many migrations of the Khazar people into Hungary, Ukraine, and other areas of Europe and their subsequent assimilation, providing the most comprehensive treatment of this complex issue to date. The Jews of Khazaria draws upon the latest archival, linguistic, and archaeological discoveries. Ashkenazic Jews who wish to explore their distant ancestry in eastern Europe will benefit from reading this book.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    376 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Jason Aronson, Inc.
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    6.38 x 1.03 x 9.26 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0765760320
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0765760326
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

...[Brook] has provided a useful reference work for all those intrigued by the most striking single case of successful Jewish proselytism, as well as for those interested in the affairs of one of the four great powers of western Eurasia in the early middle ages. (Shofar)

...[Brook] has provided a useful reference work for all those intrigued by the most striking single case of successful Jewish proselytism, as well as for those interested in the affairs of one of the four great powers of western Eurasia in the early middle ages.... (Shofar)

From the Author

This is the original edition of The Jews of Khazaria that was in print between April 16, 1999 and October 24, 2006. Due to its many defects and deficiencies, I strongly encourage you to read the later editions instead of this one.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jason Aronson, Inc. (January 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765760320
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765760326
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1.03 x 9.26 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the author

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Kevin Alan Brook

Kevin Alan Brook

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Kevin Brook is an American researcher of history, genetics, and genealogy known for his articles about Sephardic Jewish migrations into Eastern Europe in the ZichronNote newsletter, his book-length study of the Khazar kingdom whose leaders converted to Judaism, his exploration of the genetics of the Karaite Jews of Europe, and his investigations of Slavic and East Asian DNA in Ashkenazic Jews. He also helps customers of autosomal DNA tests trace their Ashkenazic Jewish and Sephardic Jewish roots. He is a graduate of Bryant College's Russian studies track's courses on general Russian history and Russian political history.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
10 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Toshi
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is book is in excellent condition and what a wonderful seller.
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Eugene Peysakh
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2001
Brook does an excellent job in broaching this topic that many have attempted before him, and I'm sure many will attempt after. Considering how little is known about Khazaria, how much history has been either censored or re-written by the former Soviet Union, and the relatively sparse amount of archaelogical work that has been conducted in the region, Brook brings much information to light, detailing the tribal and linguistic origins of the Khazars. In comparison with Koestler's "The Thirteenth Tribe," Brook's work is more about presenting facts than coming to conclusions.
I would encourage everyone interested in this book, this subject and in modern Judaism in general to remember that 'conclusions' are based on current and past knowledge, not on future discoveries. Sarkel is still under water and will continue to be for the foreseeable future -- who knows what information it holds? People have been twisting the ideas and findings discussed in "The Thirteenth Tribe" and "The Jews of Khazaria" to promote hatred for Jews for quite some time. That's not the purpose of these works, as Arthur Koestler himself addressed at the end of "The Thirteenth Tribe."
I've also used the bibliography to further my own knowledge, although I have found that many of the sources are out-of-print.
I look forward to learning more about the Khazars, who they were and who they became -- for today, I highly recommend Brook's "The Jews of Khazaria." It is excellently written, a fascinating work and will open it's readers eyes to some lesser known history.
Savor it, but don't rush to judgement!
112 people found this helpful
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Max Heffler
5.0 out of 5 stars This began my new journey
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2008
Verified Purchase
This book began my new journey of learning about the Khazarian royalty I might be descended from.
One person found this helpful
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Von Bearman
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, the latest on Khazars
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 1999
The book not only traces the history of the people of Khazaria, brings the latest archeological data and links between Khazars and East European peoples it highlights every detail of their conversion to Judaism, their political and religious influence, their military might. Indeed everything is supported by a comprehensive set of documents and articles. Very rich bibliography although it'd be good to see more visual material (maps, etc.). Great effort to deliver an exciting aspect of our history.
72 people found this helpful
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Ralph Oelbaum (yaakov@cyberzone.net)
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any researcher or lover of history.
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 1999
There are those who write history and those whom make it. Kevin Allen Brook is both. This long awaited book was worth the wait. I myself have been researching the Khazars for a few years on the Internet, books and many other sources. This book is a must for any researcher or even one that just loves history.
I received my copy only a few nights ago and have now completed it. I was amazed on how well this book read. There was so much to learn it was incredible. I know I will be referring to this book more and more as I continue my own research. Kevin, it was worth every ounce of energy that you have given this book. The one part of the book that I was very happy to see was the Turik words and definitions in the back of the book. Also it references whether the word is Turik, Rus, and Magyar.
So what have I learned for my own research. I have learned that many Khazars fled to Spain and till this day there still might be some living there. This opens a new avenue for me to look at. One side of my family is German but they came from Spain. The other side of the family is from the Odessa region in what was Khazaria. Thank you Kevin for opening my eyes.
16 people found this helpful
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Phlogiston
3.0 out of 5 stars A good overview, but the conclusions conflict with evidence
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2005
While I believe that this book is a must-read insofar as gaining an understanding of Khazaria goes, I do not believe, as the author contends, that this population survived in the numbers that he suggests. Most recent Mitochondrial and Y-Chromosome mapping work that has been done on Ashkenazi Jews suggests that the overwhelming majority of the progenitors of this population were middle-eastern in origin. The rest of the genome suggests that an intermarriage and conversion rate that could not have been more than one percent per generation. A mass influx of survivors from the fall of the Khazarian empire just doesn't fit into the genetic picture.

The other big problem is that when Mr. Brook traces various customs of modern Ashkenazi Jews to Khazaria, even when explicit evidence exists that these customs existed hundreds of years earlier. One such example is the Mezuzah (a small parchment that is rolled up and affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes).

Even the linguistic evidence is sometimes wanting. The Turkic, or Ugric words that are traced to Khasarian origins could have come into the Yiddish vocabulary from any number of outlets. The Turkic language family was quite wide-spread across Asia well into the sixteenth century, and is still quite large. Jews were and continue to be in contact with dozens of members of this language group.

Lest I sound overly harsh, while some evidence is wanting, this book has enormous assets. The exploration of Khazarian culture, and the fact that this Jewish population existed are well presented. There are no apologetics and it is an honest investigation into a difficult topic. I believe that anybody would be well served by reading it, even though I disagree with the conclusions that are drawn.
69 people found this helpful
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