The World of the Cairo Genizah: The Jews of Medieval Islam

For centuries, Jews in medieval Cairo deposited their used writings in their genizah, a storage chamber for sacred books that are no longer useable. Egypt’s dry climate ensured that over 200,000 manuscripts did not disintegrate. During the 19th century,

the Cairo Genizah came to the attention of western scholars, and its discovery has revolutionized our understanding of medieval Jewish history. Explore how this treasure trove of documents can help to shed light on the everyday lives of the Jews of the medieval Islamic world.