Princeton Geniza Lab
@genizalab.bsky.social
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Digitizing Cairo Geniza documents since 1985. https://genizalab.princeton.edu/, https://geniza.princeton.edu
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genizalab.bsky.social
We look forward to seeing how researchers utilize and explore this collection in new ways!
genizalab.bsky.social
Special thanks to director Prof. Marina Rustow, co-director Prof. Eve Krakowski, project managers Rachel Richman, Ksenia Ryzhova, Pratima Gopalakrishnan, and Amel Bensalim, as well as research software engineer Mohamed Abdellatif, the CDH's Rebecca Koeser, and all our researchers past and present!
genizalab.bsky.social
This represents structured metadata informed by scholarly research and meticulous cataloging by the PGP team, all of which is now available in .csv format for researchers and the public. The metadata will be updated quarterly.
genizalab.bsky.social
For the first time since the Princeton Geniza Project began in 1986, we have published our metadata collated from over 30,000 Geniza documents and the People, Places, and histories of the Middle East and premodern Jewish communities found therein!

zenodo.org/records/1583...
Princeton Geniza Project Dataset
Since 1986, the Princeton Geniza Lab has been studying and digitizing historical documents from the Cairo Geniza, a cache of roughly 400,000 fragments of paper and parchment preserved in a medieval Eg...
zenodo.org
genizalab.bsky.social
Given the expanded capabilities of the new PGP site (v4), we're finally retiring PGPv3. We chose April 3, 2025 as its final date, S. D. Goitein's 125th birthday. Many thanks to Ben Johnston of @mcgrawect for building the site & running it. You can find the archived content here:
genizalab.bsky.social
A gorgeous prayerbook (maḥzor) for the high holidays copied in Mallorca(!) in 1332 CE, recently spotted by PGP researcher Tani Robinson.

geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...
page from a Hebrew manuscript with beautiful capitals ornamented with red and blue designs screenshot from a Hebrew manuscript with the word מיורקא
genizalab.bsky.social
That seems right! "flashiness?"

Re: "pushiness" I'm also not convinced that this reads אלצת in the first place
genizalab.bsky.social
"He disdains me because I have little pomposity" (وقد حقرني لحال انني قليل البهرجة) - a humble teacher writing about his rich, apparently pompous uncle (Avraham Ibn Yiju)

Document record:
geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...
Published edition:
princetongenizalab.github.io/goitein-indi...
screenshot of a medieval manuscript with Hebrew script
genizalab.bsky.social
"When I parted from you, I intended to sail to the island of Cyprus, but a strong storm diverted the boat to Tarsus. I was very much afraid that the king would take hold of me and detain me. . . ." Letter from Alexandria to Cairo, ~1212 CE

geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...
medieval manuscript covered with Hebrew script (letter in Judaeo-Arabic)
genizalab.bsky.social
Goitein's index card ("Dr. Paul Fenton to publish together with me as Maimonides en pantoufles") with accompanying AI illustration of Maimonides en pantoufles.
Goitein's index card: "Dr. Paul Fenton to publish together with me as Maimonides en pantoufles" AI-generated image of Maimonides en pantoufles
genizalab.bsky.social
A very sweet letter reminiscing on a visit to the house of Maimonides, who is depicted here enjoying lemon drops and playing with a cute toddler.

"I kissed his noble hand, and he received us with a most cordial welcome. He said to me, 'Come and sit...'"

geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...
Letter: T-S 8J14.18
Letter from a member of the nasi family of Mosul addressed to Shelomo b. Yishay. Dating: the events described in…
geniza.princeton.edu
genizalab.bsky.social
Not to be missed! A landmark new book in Arabic documentary legal studies by Mathieu Tillier and Naïm Vanthieghem. Includes many previously unidentified Cairo Geniza fragments. Pictured: geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...
The cover of the new book "Mariages et séparations en Égypte au Moyen Âge" two fragments of a medieval Arabic manuscript joined together
genizalab.bsky.social
A Judaeo-Arabic text about Alexander the Great, with the text of a letter from the Persian king Darius ("king of kings and master of the nations of the world"), commands Alexander to submit to him: geniza.princeton.edu/en/documents...
Literary text: T-S K25.262
Literary text in Judaeo-Arabic in two columns about Alexander the Great. Narrating how when Alexander went east to wage war…
geniza.princeton.edu