The Medieval Bible — Jewish Textual Transmission
The Cairo Geniza Preserves Biblical Fragments
Principally ninth-nineteenth centuries
A storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue preserved thousands of Jewish manuscript fragments, including biblical texts and study materials.
Full Account
Jewish practice discouraged casually destroying writings containing the divine name. Worn texts were placed in a geniza, and the Cairo collection accumulated an extraordinary range of biblical, liturgical, legal, commercial, and personal documents.
Biblical fragments preserve Hebrew readings, vocalization systems, translations, and educational practices. They illuminate ordinary textual life beyond the famous complete codices.
Historical Significance
The Geniza supplies a broad documentary record of how medieval Jewish communities copied, read, taught, and translated Scripture.
People, Places and Sources
- Key people: Jewish scribes and readers; Solomon Schechter in modern study
- Key places: Ben Ezra Synagogue; Fustat or Old Cairo; Cambridge
- Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic