Cambridge University Library’s Cairo Genizah Research Unit
The Brief
T he Taylor-Schechter Cairo Genizah Research Unit at Cambridge University Library has the world’s largest and most important single collection of medieval Jewish manuscripts. For a thousand years, the Jewish community of Fustat (Old Cairo), placed their worn-out books and other writings in the sacred storeroom (genizah) of the Ben Ezra Synagogue, and in 1896–97 the Cambridge scholar, Dr Solomon Schechter (above at work in the Library in 1898), with financial help from the Master of St John’s College, Charles Taylor, arrived to examine it. He received permission from the Jewish community of Egypt to take away what he liked (explaining later, ‘I liked it all’), and he brought 193,000 manuscripts back to Cambridge, where they form the Taylor-Schechter Cairo Genizah Collection. Over the ensuing years, many scholars have revealed the huge significance of this stash of priceless documents. Among them, a letter signed by Maimonides himself complete with an address on the back!
Early in 2023, Facsimile Editions were approached with an urgent request to reproduce some of the most significant fragments. New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus had decided to mount an extraordinary exhibition of the Genizah’s most important Arabic and Hebrew fragments – entitled Genizah in the Gulf. This request to ship original manuscripts presented many logistical challenges, not least being that of the very significant expense and curatorial time involved in packing, shipping, insuring, accompanying and installing these rare treasures.
By using accurate facsimiles, Cambridge University Library was able to virtually eliminate the significant specialists’ costs involved in shipping, safeguarding and insuring these invaluable documents. And because the facsimiles were so accurately made, the viewing public had no less of an authentic experience than they would have had from viewing the originals.
The Project
Ben Outhwaite, Head of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit selected eight fragments varying in size between 9×25 and 21x56cm. Two had the rubbed remains of gold decoration and all were stained, of irregular shape and full of holes. Six were on an Eastern rag paper and two on parchment.
From high-resolution images, proofs were made and checked against the originals for colour accuracy and size before final printing. Pixel-accurate cutting templates were prepared to accurately guide a laser in cutting the fragments’ perimeter and multitude of holes. The two fragments with gold were gilt by hand to complete the effect.
To display the fragments, acrylic frames were designed, laser-engraved with captions and completed with invisible hanging attachments to give the fragments a ‘floating’ effect. Each fragment was held in a laser-cut template sandwiched between acrylic sheets. The set of fragments was delivered complete with a custom hanging system and ahead of schedule!
Khaleej Times – 12 March 2023
A custom acrylic enclosure was made for each fragment. Illuminated leaf of Kalila wa-Dimna, Arabic T-S Ar.51.60
Petition to Saladin, Arabic
T-S K2.96
Petition to the caliph al-Mustanṣir regarding a murder on a boat – T-S Ar.42.158
Mass-produced scorpion amulets
T-S AS 143.26
Petition to the caliph al-Mustanṣir regarding a murder on a boat
T-S Ar.42.158
Mass-produced scorpion amulets
T-S AS 143.26
Illuminated children’s Hebrew primer, 10–11th century
T-S K5.13
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