Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

October 19, 2017

A Collection of Long-Lost Manuscripts Sheds Light on Medieval Afghan Jewry

Including a liturgy almost identical to that used today.

A few years ago, the National Library of Israel acquired some 300 pages of documents written by Afghan Jews in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries. These include personal and business correspondence, religious and legal documents, journals, and ledgers. Most are in Judeo-Persian—Persian written in Hebrew characters—but some are in Hebrew, Aramaic, or standard Persian. Highlighting some of the most interesting finds in the collection, Yoel Finkleman and Ofir Haim write:

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