The introduction offers some thoughts on each of the four areas covered by the essays and draws some broad conclusions. Studies of the history of manuscripts and of their acquisition demonstrate their impact on research into Jewish studies and on modern Judaism’s understanding of itself. What emerges from liturgical studies here included is how important it is not only to analyze texts but also to identify overall historical, geographical and cultural developments. Prayer may have been used as an educational tool and, in turn, influenced educational ideas and agendas. The liturgical themes that occur and recur over the centuries (and especially in the talmudic and medieval periods) reflect the ideological and theological notions that lie behind prayer texts and the variant forms that they take. Some common prayers are seen to include concepts of time, views of creation, attitudes to non-Jews and definitions of Jewish peoplehood. The appreciations of some leading modern scholars of Jewish studies set them in their educational, historical and religious contexts and indicate what they had in common as experts in scientific Jewish studies as well as what remained individual about their lives, research publications and achievements.

A collection of blessings, poems, meditations, and rituals presented in English and Hebrew offers a traditional perspective to weekday, Sabbath, and New Moon festival observances.

The Seyder Tkhines, translated from its original Yiddish by noted tkhines scholar, Devra Kay, and centerpiece of this groundbreaking work, was a standard Yiddish prayer book for women. It first appeared in Amsterdam in 1648, and continued to be published for the next three generations, usually inside the Hebrew synagogue prayer book. A product of an age when mysticism pervaded mainstream Judaism, the Seyder Tkhines provided women with newly composed, alternative daily prayers that were more specific to their needs. Included in this volume is a unique Yiddish manuscript dating from the 17th century ? a collection of prayers written specifically for a rich, pregnant woman, which Kay discovered among the rare books of the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. Now, for the first time, these prayers have been skillfully translated and brought to public view. In addition to her translations, Kay presents her own extensive commentary, providing a deeper understanding of the historic, religious, and cultural background of this period in Jewish history. This unparalleled book will have special appeal to those interested in the social, literary, and religious history of women, as well as the history of the Yiddish language and literature. The interest in these forgotten prayers and their significance to the lives of women has now been revived, and these tkhines are ready to be rediscovered by a modern readership.

After the Bible, the Passover haggadah is the most widely read classic text in the Jewish tradition. More than four thousand editions have been published since the late fifteenth century, but few are as exquisite as the Washington Haggadah, which resides in the Library of Congress. Now, a stunning facsimile edition meticulously reproduced in full color brings this beautiful illuminated manuscript to a new generation. Joel ben Simeon, the creator of this unusually well-preserved codex, was among the most gifted and prolific scribe-artists in the history of the Jewish book. David Stern’s introduction reconstructs his professional biography and situates this masterwork within the historical development of the haggadah, tracing the different forms the text took in the Jewish centers of Europe at the dawn of modernity. Katrin Kogman-Appel shows how ben Simeon, more than just a copyist, was an active agent of cultural exchange. As he traveled between Jewish communities, he brought elements of Ashkenazi haggadah illustration to Italy and returned with stylistic devices acquired during his journeys. In addition to traditional Passover images, realistic illustrations of day-to-day life provide a rare window into the world of late fifteenth-century Europe. This edition faithfully preserves the original text, with the Hebrew facsimile appearing in the original right-to-left orientation. It will be read and treasured by anyone interested in Jewish history, medieval illuminated manuscripts, and the history of the haggadah.

Inspired by New Philology, Liv Ingeborg Lied studies the Syriac manuscript transmission of 2 Baruch. She addresses the methodological, epistemological and ethical challenges of studying early Jewish writings in Christian transmission, re-tells the story of 2 Baruch and promotes manuscript- and provenance-aware textual scholarship.