Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit | Cambridge University Library
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Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit
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Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit
A Priceless Collection
Genizah Fragments Blog
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The Illustrated Cairo Genizah
, by Nick Posegay and Melonie Schmierer-Lee (a 340-page, hardback, coffee-table type introduction to the Cambridge Genizah Collections). Order your copy
here
The Taylor-Schechter Genizah Collection is a window on the medieval world and has been colourfully described as ‘a refuge for writings’ and ‘a battlefield of books’. Its 193,000 manuscript fragments, mainly in Hebrew, Judaeo-Arabic, Aramaic and Arabic, are an unparalleled resource for the academic study of Judaism, Jewish history and the wider economic and social history of the Mediterranean and Near East in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period. They shed light on the mundane as well as the religious and cultural activities of that world, since the Collection preserves a huge number of personal letters, legal deeds and other documents, alongside literary and sacred texts. The Genizah Research Unit was established in the 1970s to carry out a comprehensive program of conservation, cataloguing and research on the manuscripts. The Genizah Research Unit relies upon external support for its
projects.
Visit the
Genizah Fragments blog
to read about our research and new discoveries.
Thinking about visiting the Library to consult or view the Collection? Please see our
Frequently Asked Questions page
first.
High-resolution images and detailed descriptions of more than 21,000 Genizah fragments from our Collections are now available on the Genizah section of Cambridge University Digital Library. Hundreds of new fragments are uploaded each month. Click
here
to see them.
Instead of further issues of the newsletter you can find all our news on our blog
here
.The final issue (Oct 2021) of
Genizah Fragments
, the Unit's twice-yearly newsletter, is now available to read and download
here
In
March 2026's Fragment of the Month
, Kim Phillips takes a typically assiduous look at one of the earliest known Torah scrolls in the world -- if not the earliest.
Have you found our website or bibliography useful? Would you like to make a one-off or regular
donation
to further Genizah research and the production of online Genizah resources at Cambridge? Give a
single gift
securely online or join the
Friends of the Genizah
to give regular support.
We are able to arrange bookings for Genizah visits for up to 45 people. Bookings must be arranged in advance, by contacting
genizah@lib.cam.ac.uk
Contact the Unit
Professor Ben Outhwaite
Genizah Research Unit
Cambridge University Library
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9DR
Tel:
+44 (0)1223 333129
E-mail:
genizah@lib.cam.ac.uk
Support the Genizah Unit
Make a
one-off donation
to the Genizah Research Unit or join the
Friends of the Genizah
to give regular support.
We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator. Please read our
fundraising promise
For information about how the Library handles your personal information, please see
www.lib.cam.ac.uk/privacy-policy
Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR, UK
Email:
library@lib.cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 333000
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