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The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza: Jewish Encounters Series

J.D. Salinger

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Published in Sacred Trash: The Lost And Found World Of The Cairo Geniza (Jewish Encounters Series)

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The Cairo Geniza is a vast collection of Jewish manuscripts that were discovered in a synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, in the 19th century. These manuscripts provide a unique glimpse into the lives of Jews in the Middle East during the Middle Ages and have helped to shed light on the history of the Jewish people.

Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza (Jewish Encounters Series)

by Adina Hoffman

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
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The Geniza was discovered by Solomon Schechter, a Romanian-born Jewish scholar who was working at Cambridge University. Schechter was searching for manuscripts that would help him to understand the history of the Jewish people. He heard rumors of a large collection of manuscripts in a synagogue in Cairo, and he traveled to Egypt in 1896 to investigate.

Schechter found the Geniza in a storeroom at the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo. The Geniza was a repository for discarded religious texts. According to Jewish law, any text that contains the name of God must be treated with respect, and it cannot be destroyed. As a result, the Jews of Cairo had collected these texts in the Geniza for centuries.

Schechter was amazed by the size and scope of the Geniza. He estimated that there were over 100,000 manuscripts in the collection. The manuscripts were written in a variety of languages, including Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic. They covered a wide range of topics, including religion, philosophy, history, and literature.

Schechter spent the next several years cataloging and studying the Geniza manuscripts. He shipped the manuscripts to Cambridge University, where they are now housed in the Cambridge University Library. The Geniza manuscripts have been a valuable resource for scholars studying the history of the Jewish people.

The Geniza manuscripts have helped to shed light on the lives of Jews in the Middle East during the Middle Ages. They have provided information about the religious beliefs and practices of Jews, their economic activities, and their social and cultural interactions with their Muslim and Christian neighbors.

The Geniza manuscripts have also helped to challenge traditional notions about the history of the Jewish people. For example, the manuscripts have shown that Jews were not as isolated from the rest of society as was once thought. They had close relationships with their Muslim and Christian neighbors, and they participated in the economic and cultural life of the region.

The Geniza manuscripts are a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of the Jewish people. They provide a unique glimpse into the lives of Jews in the Middle East during the Middle Ages, and they have helped to shed light on the history of the Jewish people.

The Jewish Encounters Series

The Jewish Encounters series is a collection of books that explores the history and culture of the Jewish people. The series is published by the Cambridge University Press, and it features books by leading scholars in the field of Jewish studies.

The Jewish Encounters series includes books on a wide range of topics, including the history of the Jewish people, Jewish religion, Jewish philosophy, and Jewish literature. The series also includes books on the relationship between Jews and other cultures, such as the relationship between Jews and Muslims and the relationship between Jews and Christians.

The Jewish Encounters series is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Jewish people. The series features books by leading scholars in the field of Jewish studies, and it covers a wide range of topics.

The Cairo Geniza and the Jewish Encounters series are two valuable resources for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Jewish people. The Geniza manuscripts provide a unique glimpse into the lives of Jews in the Middle East during the Middle Ages, and the Jewish Encounters series provides a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the Jewish people.

Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza (Jewish Encounters Series)

by Adina Hoffman

4.5 out of 5