The Damascus Document appeared to be from an unknown Jewish sect until similar material was discovered half a century later by the shores of the Dead Sea
See the manuscript...Ben Sira, a second-century BCE wisdom book, though disapproved of for centuries, suddenly reappears in Hebrew in the Genizah
See the manuscript...Greek continued to be used by Jews in some regions, and a fine example of this is the remains of copy of Ecclesiastes, written in Greek with Hebrew characters
See the manuscript...A quotation of the ten commandments from the same time period as the Dead Sea Scrolls
See the manuscript...A retelling of the story of the Maccabees for the feast of Hanukkah
See the manuscript...The earliest Jewish apocalyptic, the Book of Enoch, preserved in full by the Ethiopian Church
See the manuscript...An early Jewish disputation with Christians framed as a life of Jesus
See the manuscript...Manuscripts and other artefacts tell us stories about their own lives and not just about their contents. These artefacts themselves have a tale to tell of why they have been preserved and how they have been copied and annotated. They are more than copies of ancient texts, but silent witnesses to continuing traditions, alive within Judaism, and to the afterlives of ancient works. This site will help you appreciate such material artefacts for understanding ancient Judaism.
You may browse here manuscript images, each supported by scholarly commentary, bibliography, and questions to be addressed to such material. You will be encouraged to think about their historical importance, reception history, and content, aided by audio-visual podcasts from scholars discussing the manuscripts. You will be given pathways through the material, offered reflective questions and opportunities for further research.
The site displays material digitized by the Taylor-Schechter Genizah research unit and Cambridge University Library. It is a project directed by Drs James Aitken and Ben Outhwaite, made possible by the Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy, and supported by CARET.