1. The Arabic Bible has served various functions throughout its history. In the 19th century, for example, it was an important literary medium of the Christian Nahda as well as an object of scientific curiosity for European orientalists.1 The following … Continued
1. Scholarly interest in the Bible in Arabic has surged in recent decades. While traditionally specialists in the textual history of the Bible downplayed the importance of Arabic Bible manuscripts, scholars have increasingly shown the potential significance of these manuscripts, … Continued
This blog entry is based on the article by Gideon Bohak, “The Book of Twitches of Shem Son of Noah and Other Manuals of Palmomancy from the Cairo Genizah and from al-Quṣayr,” in Andreas Kaplony and Matt Malczycki (eds.), From Samarqand to Toledo: Greek, Sogdian and Arabic Documents and Manuscripts from the Islamicate World and Beyond, [Islamic History and Civilization, 201], Leiden: Brill, 2023, pp. 139-161 (doi:10.1163/9789004527874_007)
In the month of Ramaḍān 253 AH (September/October 867 CE), Bishr ibn al-Sirrī finalized in Damascus his work on translating the Pauline Epistles from Syriac into Arabic, annotating and transcribing them into a manuscript. On a different occasion, he prepared … Continued
The book of Psalms plays a significant role in both Judaism and Christianity. The psalms are used in prayer, both in public worship and in the believer’s devotional life. The Jewish morning prayer, the פְסוּקֵי דְּזִמְרָא, and the Christian liturgy … Continued
We are very happy to share the good news: we have a Munich Research Centre for Jewish-Arabic Cultures! On October 31, 2022, the Munich Research Centre for Jewish-Arabic Cultures (jac@culture.lmu.de) celebrated its opening with great lectures and wine: Prof. Dr. … Continued
Studying historical book cultures of North Africa and West Asia on the basis of documentary texts such as manuscript notes and library catalogues has gained in pace in recent years.[1] Among the most important sites for documentary booklists is the … Continued
