Robert of Anjou, king of Naples (1309-1343) is known for having patronized the work of several eminent Jewish scholars and exegetes. Among them were Shemariah Ben Elijah of Crete, who dedicated his philosophical commentary on the Songs of Songs to the sovereign whom he compares to the Biblical Solomon, and Judah Romano, philosopher and translator, who taught the king Hebrew.

 

By examining Shemariah’s exegetical writings and Judah’s philosophical works, together with the complex network of correspondences between intellectuals and the court, this paper explores the way in which the king’s scholarly interests shaped both the exceptional protection granted to the Jews under his jurisdiction, and the construction of a royal image of wisdom and legitimacy.