Scroll Down: Classical Jewish Texts, from Parchment to Internet

Gary A. Rendsburg

The CAI Adult Scholarly Committee is proud to welcome back Gary A. Rendsburg, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History and Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. He will present Scroll Down: Classical Jewish Texts, from Parchment to Internet on four successive Wednesday evenings in January, 7:00-9:00 p.m.:

Jan. 9 – The Bible
Jan. 16 – Mishnah and Talmudim
Jan. 23 – The Cairo Genizah
Jan. 30 – Siddur, Maḥzor, and Haggadah

Over the course of more than two millennia, Jewish texts have transitioned from scroll to codex to book — and now to digital media. This four-part series will survey classical Jewish sources (the Bible, Mishnah, Talmud, siddur, Haggadah, etc.) from before the age of printing, now available on the Internet for the public at large to view, read, and study.

The lecture series will bring this old-new world of Hebrew studies scholarship to the general community in an accessible manner. The focus will be on both the contents of the manuscripts (especially when they differ from later printed editions) and the history of these documents, including their preservation in museums and libraries for centuries, along with the move to greater access in the digital age.

To present one sneak preview: Prof. Rendsburg will look at various manuscripts of the Passover Haggadah — with two, three, four, and even five questions!