The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-12

that have been uTfeaTEhed DURING the
nineteenth century They have Just been
brought to England from Cairo. Egypt,
~ Or. s. schechfer. one q the most ia
nous authorities on Biblical research.
They were discovered BY him AZ Cairo.
and he nronounees them % untold value
somethinR OF an idea Of the immensely
~ the savaat's discovery n8g be gieaned
from the fact that his collection includes
g. go IRA gueHts ~ ancient jewish Atera-
fure Some Of these fragments o. parttc1-
lar value relate 20 the tenth century.
and clear away the mysteries which have
always surrounded certain facts. and
have hitherto been considered hopeiessiy
fnpenefrable. one may best judge Of the
facts however by reading The accom-
pauying signed statement. procured from
Or SehechteF himself which tells Of the
discovery in q 6eniZah. and Of what the
discovery consisted.
'7The Cenizah 20 explore which was the
object 81 my late travels IN the East. -
q old Jewish institution. When applied
20 books Il means much the same thing
Ak burial means 70 the case Of men
When the spirit Is gone We put the corpse
cut OF sight 90 protect II from abuse. In
Ike manner. when the writing Is worn
out. We hide the book 70 preserve II from
PROCLAMATION. The contents OF the book 20
up TO heaven Ike the soul,
''In the course Of time the Genizah ex-
tended - protection 70 books, which by
tong use or want Of care were at length
81 a defective state. sheets being missing
81 the beginning. ia the middle or Al the
end. and which We're thus disqualified
Tor the common purposes of study. An
other class Of Books consigned 10 the
tsenIzah we're what We may can disgraeed
books. books which once pretended TO
the rank Of Scripture. but which were
found by the authorities 10 be wanting
ia the qualification OF being dictated by
the Holy Spirit They were hidden and
hence our term 'ApOcrypha' for writings
excluded from Tor never admitted into)
the canon
Besides these sacred and semi-sacred
books the Genlzah proved a refuge for
class of writings that never asplred 10 the
dignity OF real books. but are none the
less Of tho greatest Importance for Jew
ish history. All legal documents. such as
leases, contracts. marriage settlements.
and letters of divorce. and the proceed
iags as well a. the decisions Of the courts
Of justice. were drawn no in Hebrew or
AZ least written IN Hebrew letters. And
as the Jews attached a certain sacred
ness 20 everything resembling the Scrip
lures. eithe. III matter or In form they
were ioath 60 treat even these secular
documents az mere refuge, and when they
we're overtaken by old age disposed Of
them by ordering them to the Genizah In
turtles The Genizah Of the old Jewish
community thus represents a combina-
ton az sacred lumber room and secular
record office.
1T was such a Genizah that I set out
70 visit In the middle Of last December
Ny destination was Cairo, My plan rec
onmended itself To the authorities OF the
University Of Cambridge. and found
warm supporters in Prof sldgwick, DR.
Donald McAlister. ard especially DR. Tay-
Tor. the master OF 81 Johns College
must remark here that the Genlzah, nike
the rest OF the property OF the synagogue
IN Cairo. Is vested IN the rabbit and the
wardens for the time being I drove 10
this ancient Genlzah accompanied by the
rabbi
1T has an authentic record extending
over more than a thousand years. having
served originally as a Coptic church est
Nichaefsl and been thereafter converted
into a synagogue soon after the Mahotn-
medan conquest of Egypt. I have al
ready Indicated the mixed nature of tha
Genizah. But one can hardly realize the
confusion in such a real cid Genizah until
one has seen IL, II Is a battlefield of
books. battle in which the literary pro-
dOetions ~ many centuries had their
share and their disiecta membra are nov
strcwn crer its area. Some Of the belli-
gcreuts have persisted outright and are
literally ground TO dust In the terrible
struggle far space. whilst others as n
overtaken BY a general crush. are
squeczed into big unshapcly Jumps which
oven With the aid Of chemical appliances
can no longer be separated without seri-
Gus damage Ia their constituents
u had 20 coufne my likings 60 the man.
useIipts But the amount 81 the printed
fragments Is very large. eonstftutlnz "a
they 90 nearly All tho contributions ~
the Geuis8h Of the hast p0 years Most
- my time in cairo was spent in gettfng
rid ~ these parvcnus. whilst every piece
of paper or parchment that had any
claim - a respectable age was packed IN
h3Ts md conveyed 10 the forward *
agent 90 br shipped % England
The number 81 fragments procured nv
me amounts I think 90 Hbout A. en- The
closer * mination Of thym has only he
' E1}n siUce nv return ta England and Il
VIII @tiA take "a hong time before an ade-
quate account ~ them IS possible Here
can only offer few brief remarks
about thelr -rnerai character which. IT
Conrea mast hc taken WITH an due re-
servo.
'-T'he study ~ the Torah which means
She revci tioa ~ Cod 20 man. and the cul-
aviation OF prayer. which means she rev
citation OF man to Col have been the
grand passion - ola Judaism, hence She
lNhie Vei3 Toatauenh sut the liturgy
constitute tho largest part of the cen
tents ~ Trio CseuiEah. The Mss II the
Bfbie though Offering no teNtfiuI Varia-
tens - consequence are uevert heless rct
devoid 81 points ~ interest: f7r some
fragments go back as far ae the tenth
century. ana are thus ~ ~reat value, lf
onfy as specimens 81 writing others are
Furnished WITH MARGINAL closes or are
fngers ters>d With Chaldatc and ArahIr
versions whilst some are nrovia,-l with
uult0 2 new system - punctuation aff-
ferlug both from che eastern and she
WESTERN Regarding thr Apocrvha 7 uiii
here infer only 80 thc fragment ~ tNe
Cr'Ftuai ~ Ecr}rstaesicls which - VS.
nv good fortune 20 discover On IRE fstA
of Nav }Vs IN the Irvls-Gibscn coIie,-
tl-n ~ Fra Er1ents.
'"The cousrturics tteus which vr-r.. s,e-
utte av Ms lewis ts the ufras lea 70
tna discovery ~ further fragments az OK
ford Nug au these undoubtedly come
from Geufsah. ard Justify the hnre
thet oalr roce0t acquisitions wll Weld
mere remains ~ thase sua-Sac~aA xof-
1tuses A. to NturEv. wee Grnirah eTr~-
fhe FeFuatuS ~ thc oldest fofrn4 - 80
worship n she sNnaEoE11e. t~at tAs-e
thvow nlueh HEht on IRE flstory ~ the
Jewish prayer BOOK THE nuu}a- a
ttrns found sra the Cen3zah b. $3.50 very
erest. an8 thev reveal 50 u- e 7eatr
80 laue7-siay r=>slul' s}A hl-herto un-
kr.Wn.
Next 20 fheee main classes come -.
f.aFreuts ~ tire twa Tsimuas ttAc Tai
r-es ~ rst2 an ar8 tne Taiuau3 81 Tsr1-
'sful ans Ms3resh4m tai8 rsb5.nte hrtut.
t~f 17fey arc - fhe utmost }upo-tsH.s
th t9r esnA -s- - tew So tradition -tv - 2
fot oH tv ets.ta "a naw class cf fn8u1--rl1ts
uskae@n to gre author ~ the Nsrtae