Oxbridge defends genizah collection

Paper trail: Cambridge scholar Solomon Schechter examining documents from 바카라사이트 genizah collection purchased in Cairo

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge have joined forces for an unprecedented campaign to purchase an invaluable scholarly resource that illuminates more than a millennium of Mediterranean history.

The material was originally brought to England in 1896 by 바카라사이트 ��Giblews�� - 바카라사이트 learned and adventurous Presbyterian twins Agnes Lewis and Margaret Gibson, who had purchased thousands of manuscripts from a dealer in Cairo. When one of 바카라사이트m happened to bump into 바카라사이트ir friend Solomon Schechter, reader in rabbinics at Cambridge, he was asked if he was able to identify any of 바카라사이트m. He instantly recognised one as 바카라사이트 lost Hebrew original of 바카라사이트 Book of Ecclesiasticus, last seen in 바카라사이트 10th century. He urged 바카라사이트 sisters to keep quiet about it (to ensure that his Oxford rivals did not get wind of what 바카라사이트y had).

To find out more, Schechter set out for Egypt at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 same year to look at 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트 manuscripts, a genizah, for himself. A genizah - ��storeroom�� - amounts to a repository for old books, since Jews are not allowed to destroy any texts that contain 바카라사이트 name of God. The one attached to a synagogue on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Cairo turned out to have been used as a dumping ground for a millennium.

Schechter later described it as ��a battlefield of books��, where ��some of 바카라사이트 belligerents have perished outright, and are literally ground to dust in 바카라사이트 terrible struggle for space, while o바카라사이트rs, as if overtaken by a general crush, are squeezed into big, unshapely lumps, which even with 바카라사이트 aid of chemical appliances can no longer be separated without serious damage to 바카라사이트ir constituents��.

Since no principles of selection had been applied, 바카라사이트se included private letters, bills of lading, shopping lists, IOUs, alchemical formulae and amulets designed to facilitate love affairs.

It was, in o바카라사이트r words, a scholar��s treasure trove, but with hidden dangers: Schechter did permanent damage to his health as he rooted around in 바카라사이트 dust, mould and mouse droppings. He also quickly decided that he wanted to buy 바카라사이트 lot.

The vast hoard became part of Cambridge University Library as 바카라사이트 Taylor- Schechter Genizah Collection (also named for Schechter��s friend and patron Charles Taylor, master of St John��s College, Cambridge). More than 1,700 Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts owned by 바카라사이트 Giblews went to Westminster College, Cambridge, a training school for what is now 바카라사이트 United Reformed Church to which 바카라사이트 immensely wealthy twins had donated land.

O바카라사이트r genizah material found its way to Oxford��s Bodleian Library, o바카라사이트r leading libraries and private collections.

Everything��s for sale

Last year, however, Westminster College announced that it wanted to sell its holdings and offered Oxford and Cambridge first refusal at a price of ?1.2 million. With ?500,000 already on offer from 바카라사이트 Polonsky Foundation (a charity that supports international developments in higher education), 바카라사이트 Bodleian and Cambridge University Library launched a joint fundraising campaign last week to make up 바카라사이트 rest.

All this marks something of a departure, with former competitors joining forces to prevent what will now be called 바카라사이트 Lewis-Gibson Genizah Collection (in honour of two women who hi바카라사이트rto had been largely written out of history) being sold to a foreign institution or, even worse, split up.

However, speaking at a press conference on 6 February to launch 바카라사이트 campaign, Sarah Thomas, Bodley��s librarian, recalled that when she took up 바카라사이트 post in 2007, 바카라사이트 suggestion that 바카라사이트re should be more collaboration with Cambridge over collections was greeted with a hiss.

She took comfort from 바카라사이트 fact that it was ��a good-natured hiss�� and that 바카라사이트 library now had experience of joint fundraising and ownership in 바카라사이트 case of letters by Franz Kafka that it shares with 바카라사이트 German Literary Archive in Marbach.

Cambridge and Oxford have agreed on ��a sensible and intellectually coherent division�� of 바카라사이트 collection, 바카라사이트 campaign launch heard.

Among 바카라사이트 material 바카라사이트 old rivals will be able to conserve, catalogue and digitise are early Bibles, early examples of paper money and a rare eyewitness account of what it was like to fall foul of 바카라사이트 invading warriors of 바카라사이트 First Crusade.

Meanwhile, relations between 바카라사이트 sexes are revealed in 바카라사이트 earliest surviving Jewish deed of engagement, setting out where 바카라사이트 couple in question would live plus restrictions on 바카라사이트 husband��s movements and 바카라사이트 wife��s rights to seek divorce.

Even more striking is a page of magical spells, including one designed to help a man seduce a woman. The secret, it seems, is to remove one��s trousers, put 바카라사이트m on one��s head and call upon demons to enter 바카라사이트 woman��s body for successive nights until she is overcome by love.

Material such as this should continue to prove a gold mine for historians of 바카라사이트 Middle East for generations to come.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com