The Legacy of the Cairo Genizah

The Legacy of the Cairo Genizah November 9, 2014 At the end of the 19th century, travelers discovered a treasure-trove of old manuscripts in a medieval synagogue in Old Cairo. These papers were never thrown out because they usually mentioned the name of God (a similar custom exists in Islam for Qur’an fragments). Over a millennium these manuscripts accumulated in a special antechamber, or Genizah, to form a unique archive. The collection includes hundreds of letters written by Jewish merchants who lived in the Mediterranean Islamic lands, and traveled as far as India during the Middle Ages. This panel discusses the Genizah, it's unique contribution to history, and the development of Amitav Ghosh’s book In an Antique Land, which is based in part on letters of Jewish India traders from the archive. Mark Cohen Visiting Professor of Arab Crossroads Studies, NYUAD; Author Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages (Princeton University Press, 1994) Amitav Ghosh Author In an Antique Land (Vintage, 1994) and River of Smoke (Picador, 2012) Moderated by Philip Kennedy General Editor, Library of Arabic Literature; Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, NYUAD Sign up to our mailing list to stay informed of upcoming NYU Abu Dhabi Institute events: http://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news-events/a... To view our past events and videos, click here: http://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news-events/a... Follow NYU Abu Dhabi Institute on social media: Facebook:   / 167869253250085   Twitter:   / nyuadinstitute   Instagram:   / nyuadinstitute   Follow NYU Abu Dhabi on social media: Visit our website: http://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/ Facebook:   / nyuad   Twitter:   / nyuabudhabi   Instagram:   / nyuabudhabi