The Cairo Geniza

The Cairo Geniza is a collection of approximately 400,000 Jewish manuscript fragments stored in the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt. These texts, dating from about the 9th to 19th centuries, include religious writings, legal documents, letters, and commercial records. They were preserved because they contained sacred names and were thus not discarded but stored safely. Over time, the Geniza has provided invaluable insights into Jewish history, culture, language, and daily life in the medieval Islamic world, making it a significant resource for scholars across multiple disciplines.