Herman the Former Jew

Herman the Former Jew (Hermannus quondam judaeus) is the author of a Latin autobiography that tells the story of his conversion from Judaism to Christianity. Herman writes that he was born “Judah” in Cologne and, after his conversion, joined the Augustinian order there. Nothing else is known about him other than the information contained in this text, titled Short Work on the Subject of His Conversion (Opusculum de conversione sua). However, the dubious historicity of this account has led scholars to question Herman’s existence altogether. Herman could be a purely literary figure, created as a Christian polemic supporting conversion from Judaism.