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.
Passover may be over, but your chance to support independent Jewish journalism isn't. Help JTA keep reporting the stories that define our era.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
