In this episode of Hebrew Voices #156, Bibles Written by Medieval Jewish Kids, Nehemia talks with Dr. Estara Arrant about her research at Cambridge University into “informal Bibles” discovered in the Cairo Genizah. They discuss the insights that can be gained from these previously overlooked Hebrew fragments, the surprising degree of literacy among Jewish children in the Middle Ages, and how errors in personal Bibles prove that the text of the Hebrew Bible was fixed.

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VIDEO CHAPTERS00:00 Intro 06:21 The nature and purpose of these Bibles 09:10 The Cairo genizah 13:32 Literacy in the medieval near east 18:19 The effect of the context of writing on its quality 21:37 The content of personal Bibles

BOOKS MENTIONEDThe Language and Linguistic Background of the Isaiah Scroll (1 Qisaa) by Edward Yechezkel Kutscher

RELATED EPISODESComing soon:How Medieval Jewish Children Read Hebrew - Support Team Study

OTHER LINKSJudith Olszowy-Schlanger, A Codicological and Linguistic Typology of Common Torah Codices from the Cairo Genizah, Doctoral Thesisby Estara Arrant

Judith Olszowy-Schlanger, “Learning to Read and Write in Medieval Egypt: Children’s Exercise Books from the Cairo Geniza,” Journal of Semitic Studies 48:1 (January 2003): 47-69 |Academia.eduby Judith Olszowy-Schlanger