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Maimonides Manuscript Discovered in New York Jewish Library

December 19, 1952
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An original twelfth century manuscript written in his own hand by Moses Maimonides, celebrated medieval philosopher, codifer and physician, has been discovered in the Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America by Dr. Shraga Abramson, Associate Professor of Talmud at the Seminary, it was announced today by Dr. Louis Finkelstein, chancellor of the Seminary.

The manuscript, written probably during the third quarter of the twelfth century, had been stored in the Rare Book Room of the Library since 1923, in a box containing fragments of miscellaneous unidentified manuscripts. Dr. Abramson was able to identify the Maimonides manuscript through his knowledge of Arabic, his familarity with Jewish lore and his unusual photographic memory. The newly-identified manuscript is written in Arabic words spelled with Hebrew letters.

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