In the summer of 1263 Nahmanides (Rabbi Moses ben Nahman ca 1195-1270) who was Aragon (1213-1276) to debate with a Dominican Friar named Paul about specific claims concerning the Messiah in Judaism & Christianity Friar Paul had converted from Judaism to Christianity as an adult so he brought with him some knowledge of rabbinic texts which he used to challenge the faith of Jews in Provence & northern Spain His strategy was entirely innovative Using passages from the Talmud a foundation of Jewish life in the diaspora claimed that Jewish leaders recognized that Jesus was the messiah The Barcelona dispuation was an officially sanctioned opportunity for Friar Paul to perform this kind of argument it was conducted in a public forum at the roayal palace before an audience of Jewish & Christian dignitaries The two disputants each thoroughly convinced of the indisputable truth of his own religious faith & theological interpretations argued for his position before a panel of judges headed by James I himself Nina Caputo's new graphic history tells the story of the Barcelona Disputation from Nahmanides' perspective By combining the visual power of graphics with primary sources contextualizing essays historiography & study questions Debating Truth explores issues of the nature of truth interfaith relations & the complicated dynamics between Christians Jews & Muslims in the medieval Mediterranean