Princes, Popes and Pirates

The Kuzari by Judah HaLevi, the Sephardic philosopher and poet, is one of the most important statements of Medieval Jewish thought. It is written as an introduction to Judaism in the form of a dialogue, primarily between the king of the Khazars and an unnamed rabbi. According the HaLevi's account, the King had decided to convert to a monotheistic religion, and the question was which was the best (Judaism, Christianity or Islam). The King called representatives of each of the three religious traditions to explain their central beliefs and practices.