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Read more at: Exhibition: Geniza in the Gulf

Exhibition: Geniza in the Gulf

The Arabic Poetry in the Cairo Genizah project (APCG) recently embarked on a tour of the United Arab Emirates, showcasing its collection of poetry manuscripts to scholars and the public in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Dr Mohamed Ahmed, head of the project, organized the tour in the Gulf with the aim of highlighting the significance of the Cairo Genizah as a repository of Arabic literature and an important – but little known – resource for Arabic textual history.


Read more at: Q&A Wednesday: Secret codes and erotic prose, with Alan Elbaum

Q&A Wednesday: Secret codes and erotic prose, with Alan Elbaum

Alan, which fragment are you looking at today?

My job description at the Princeton Geniza Project is to look at uncatalogued or minimally catalogued documentary fragments, and while looking for these I came across T-S NS J479, a single page covered with strange symbols written in all directions. I’ve probably glanced at around 50,000 Genizah fragments by now, and I’ve never seen anything that looks like this.

What is it? Which language is it?


Read more at: Q&A Wednesday: Amir Ashur on finding a lost poem of Judah ha-Levi

Q&A Wednesday: Amir Ashur on finding a lost poem of Judah ha-Levi

Amir, you made an exciting discovery last week. Can you tell us about it?

Yes! I'm describing some documents at the moment for the Princeton Geniza Project, and while going through some of the manuscripts of the Jewish Theological Seminary I encountered two fragments containing a long piyyut.

There are tens of thousands of these piyyutim – liturgical poems – in the Genizah, and they’re not your area of research. Why did this one catch your eye?


Read more at: Q&A Wednesday: Hebrew maqama poetry meets pop culture, with Michael Rand

Q&A Wednesday: Hebrew maqama poetry meets pop culture, with Michael Rand

Michael, what are you working on at the moment?


Read more at: Q&A Wednesday: Arabic poetic literature with Mohamed Ahmed

Q&A Wednesday: Arabic poetic literature with Mohamed Ahmed

Hi Mohamed, which manuscript are you working on today?

I’m working on T-S Ar.42.8. It’s a fragment in Arabic script by an unidentified author and scribe.

Can you tell me about it?