Studies in Semitic Linguistics and Manuscripts In honour of his sixtieth traditions of the Hebrew carry them forward. After birthday, twenty-one of Bible, supported by the study completing his PhD at SOAS, Geoffrey Khan’s former students of Arabic transcriptions, his London, with a dissertation have contributed to a Liber pioneering work on Hebrew entitled Extraposition and Discipulorum. Geoffrey Khan, grammatisation and the history Pronominal Agreement in Regius Professor of Hebrew at of Hebrew linguistic ideas, Semitic languages, Geoffrey the University of Cambridge, his daring fieldwork trips to worked as a research associate has had a tremendous impact document endangered Neo- in the Genizah Research on a vast array of domains of Aramaic dialects as well as his Unit from 1983–1993, before The Newsletter of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit, Cambridge University Library No. 75 April 2018 study, including Hebrew, Arabic, work on medieval manuscripts becoming Lecturer, Reader, Aramaic, Semitic grammar and and other documents have all and then Professor in the linguistics, Bible vocalisation transformed our perceptions University’s Oriental Studies traditions, Cairo Genizah studies, of these fields. The articles in department (now Asian and The Last Watchman Of Old Cairo: A Novel palaeography, codicology and this volume reflect the effect Middle Eastern Studies). Arabic papyrology. His fresh Geoffrey has had not only on By Michael David Lukas across time and space. We insights into Semitic syntax these fields of study but in Melonie Schmierer-Lee Geoffrey Khan as a young encounter familiar scenes of and into the pronunciation training up students that can Genizah Research Unit researcher in the University Library 288 pages Schechter and the Giblews Random House USA as they hunt for their literary Below: Stained glass created by David Martin after a visit to see the (10 April 2018) treasures, but Lukas adds to ‘Discarded History’ Genizah exhibition. David writes, “I was just struck Studies in Semitic Linguistics and them the stories of Ali, the by the ‘common’ themes of the Genizah. All of the people who lived, Manuscripts: A Liber Discipulorum Novelists who wind a tale around Muslim night-watchman of the worked, married. People in need or hoping for payments. It seemed in Honour of Professor Geoffrey Solomon Schechter, the twin Ben Ezra Synagogue, and his like it could be any person I would meet today or anyone I might see Khan, ed. Nadia Vidro, Ronny Smith sisters and the discovery in my therapy office. The current of humanity seemed to run through descendant Joseph, who returns Vollandt, Esther-Miriam Wagner, the writing, even though it was so old, it was so familiar. The middle of the Cairo Genizah are blessed from spiritual exile in Berkeley image is from artefact T-S AS 183.272 – a good luck charm. I fell in and Judith Olszowy-Schlanger with larger-than-life characters, to explore his ancestral past. In love a bit with this simple and magical ‘souvenir’ that someone might (Uppsala: Acta Universitatis a series of dramatic encounters, the bustling streets of Cairo, we buy in the market. Thanks again for hosting such an inspiring exhibit.” Upsaliensis, 2018) and a denouement of now meet Mosseris, Chief Rabbis, legendary significance. and the enigmatic travelling companion Miss de Witt, but the Michael David Lukas, whose beating heart of the tale, with its previous book ‘The Oracle of exotic sights, sounds and smells, Stamboul’ was set in nineteenth- is the city itself: ‘Summer in Cairo century Istanbul, has taken up is an angry and vengeful god’. the challenge of retelling this familiar story, but setting it into Ben Outhwaite a trifold narrative that weaves Genizah Research Unit To receive Genizah Inquiries by email should 212-984-0960 or see their The Genizah Research Fragments, to inquire be addressed to the Unit at: website: www.cantab.org Unit is grateful for the about the Collection, [email protected] generous support of the or to learn how to assist “Cambridge in America” is Friedberg Genizah Project. with its preservation and Contributions to the Unit recognized by the IRS as study, please write to are made to the “University a charitable organization, We are also appreciative Dr Ben Outhwaite, Head of Cambridge,” which enjoys and contributions for the of other smaller or of the Genizah Research charitable status for tax and benefit of the Genizah anonymous donations, Unit, at Cambridge similar purposes. Research Unit are legally HOW YOU CAN HELP YOU HOW including by the Friends University Library, deductible for USA West Road, Cambridge, In the USA the Collection income tax purposes. of the Genizah, and those CB3 9DR, England. is supported through Contributions are similarly Above: Visitors examine Genizah fragment T-S 8J22.25, part of a pop up made following visits to “Cambridge in America”. deductible in Canada even exhibition ‘Queering the UL’ in Cambridge University Library, featuring see the manuscripts. The Library can be reached if made directly to the LGBT+ related materials from its historic and modern collections to mark by fax (01223) 333160 or by For further information Development Office at the LGBT History Month. telephone (01223) 333000. please contact them on University of Cambridge. Genizah Research Unit Genizah Fragments 75 Cambridge University Library Editor Melonie Schmierer-Lee West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DR, England Design H2 Associates, Cambridge ON OTHER PAGES: The scribe who wrote the Bible | From rags to scholarly riches The scribe who wrote the Bible From rags to scholarly riches During the first wave of Caliph well-garnished with masoretic Samuel was part and parcel of the Genizah. Medieval Jewish In May 2017, researchers Shouji suitable for collection items al-Hakim’s intolerance towards notes (early text-critical notes the world of 10th–11th century scribes developed a range of Sakamoto and Léon-Bavi – even the most fragile. We the People of the Book, a written around the biblical Fustat – a world vibrantly idiosyncratic traits regarding Vilmont came to Cambridge have studied documents Fustat-based scribe – Samuel text itself). Little could Samuel illuminated by the Genizah the way they wrote the biblical University Library to investigate found along the Silk Road in ben Jacob – completed his have known that his book documents. Indeed, various text itself, the manner in which early paper fragments in the Dunhuang, Loulan and Turfan, labours on a high quality Bible (now commonly referred to as documents mention Samuel they arranged it on the page, Genizah collections. dating from the 4th–10th codex (circa 1008–1009). No the Leningrad Codex) would by name, revealing aspects and the way they organised century CE. Our analysis has doubt he was satisfied with go on to be the earliest dated of his life and work from 1000 and wrote the masoretic Paper was invented in China shown that these papers were his work: the codex contains complete Bible codex in our years ago. Recently, not just notes. One of Samuel’s most around the 2nd century BCE. made of rags that still contain all twenty-four biblical books, possession – a manuscript of his name, but also his oeuvre distinctive traits is his tendency Papermaking spread to the many threads. T-S 13J9.5. A accurately and ornately written, inestimable significance. have started to be discovered in to finish each masoretic note south (Vietnam), to the east legal document, with a particular symbol : o : (Korea and Japan) and arrived Thanks to Judith Schlanger, the lower part as seen below. By establishing in Europe via Spain in the 12th senior researcher and professor written by a list of Samuel’s scribal habits, century CE through Central Asia, at the French EPHE, we were Ephraim ben Genizah researchers have the Middle East and North Africa. introduced to Dr. Benjamin Shemarya, head been able to identify other Outhwaite, head of the Taylor- of the Palestinian fragments of his work in It is known that early European Schechter Genizah Research Rabbanite the Cambridge Genizah papers were made from linen Unit, who gave us permission congregation in collection, as well as a nearly or hemp rags, but how did this in May 2017 to access several Fustat between complete Former Prophets knowledge pass from Asia to 10th and 11th century 1016 and 1055. codex by him, now in the Europe? Old papers originating paper fragments of the Cairo Firkowich collection. Enlarging from the Middle East and Genizah. The manuscripts we our corpus of material written North Africa may fill gaps in our examined were all the more Detail of by this important scribe knowledge of papermaking valuable because they were T-S 13J9.5 is helping us understand between Central Asia and Europe, dated or sometimes included at x100 hitherto unexplained aspects and the collection of Genizah information about the place magnification. of his work. paper fragments that are held they were produced. During Note the textile at Cambridge University Library our two-week stay at CUL, we thread visible in the paper. Detail of a page from a Great Bible codex written by Samuel b. Jacob, showing his distinctive :◦: siglum at the Kim Phillips offers a unique opportunity to studied 24 manuscripts. We end of masoretic notes (T-S A3.35). Genizah Research Unit unveil the missing link. identified fibers, noted their orientation(s) in the sheet, and In our project ‘Research on studied incorporated particles. papermaking propagation For example, our analysis of E.J. Revell (1935–2017): A pioneer of masorah and vocalisation in the Genizah to the East and the West’, we fragment T-S 13J9.5, use nondestructive analysis a legal document from the techniques to investigate 11th century, revealed that This is clear evidence that this conditions for working, and for On 15 December 2017, Ernest Palestinian Pointing and their various papers using a digital this somewhat rough paper paper was made from textiles their invaluable help.