Exploring a Forgotten World: A Social History of Medieval Jewry as Revealed in the Cairo Genizah
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January 18, 25
February 1, 8, 15, 22
March 1, 8, 15, 22
7:00 pm-8:30 pm PT
All courses require a minimum number of learners to proceed.
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Enjoy a front-row seat to the drama, gossip, legal transactions, and other daily intrigues of Jewish life in the Middle Ages. This 10-session course brings to life an exotic era in Jewish history, revealing the inner thoughts of real-life characters through the Cairo Genizah, a collection of 400,000 worn-out scraps, text fragments, and documents buried for centuries. Interpreting textual evidence yields new insights into the daily interactions and behaviors of Jewish men, women and families living along the Mediterranean more than 1,000 years ago—and at root, how similar they are to our own family dynamics, business ventures, and communal concerns today. Join us for a historical journey of intrigue and adventure!
Table of Contents
Lesson 1 - From Untouched to Internationally Acclaimed Documents
Lesson 2 - Revealing a Forgotten World
Lesson 3 - Family Life: Betrothal and Marriage
Lesson 4 - Family Life and Education
Lesson 5 - Commerce: Perilous Conditions
Lesson 6 - Commercial Endeavors: Challenges and Concerns
Lesson 7 - Tracing the Lives of Saadia Gaon, Yehudah haLevi, and Moshe ben Maimon as Reflected in Genizah Documents
Lesson 8 - Outstanding Personalities from the Genizah
Lesson 9 - Women in the Genizah
Lesson 10 - Technology Prevails: What Does the Future Hold for the Cairo Genizah?
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