Introduction to Friedberg Updates

Introduction to Friedberg Updates Menachem Katz In 2012, after many years of collecting and cataloging, the "Thesaurus of Talmudic Manuscripts" was published. Inevitably, after the catalog was completed and published, work commenced on reviewing and updating fragments and manuscripts listed in the catalog and adding relevant fragments which were not included the catalog for various reasons. It is characteristic of the endless work of cataloguing that the first update to the catalog was published as an appendix to the work itself. Below we will discuss several categories of catalog updates.1 Updates to the Cairo Genizah A large number of "new" fragments were identified after catalog was published. Some shelfmarks were only systematically reviewed recently (e.g. New York JTS NS 77). Other fragments had been overlooked by the catalog editors for various reasons. For example, one fragment was described and categorized as a liturgical fragment elsewhere, (the piyyut was apparently written on the empty title page of a Talmudic fragment and the reverse side is the first page of a tractate). A large number of these fragments were discovered during the work on the "Hachi Garsinan" project, as a result of the examination and digitization of dozens of unknown Genizah fragments. A significant number of fragments were discovered in shelfmarks containing many images, known as "multifragment" images.2 These are tiny fragments containing individual words or even letters that were arranged, digitized and cataloged in a single image, mainly in the Taylor-Schechter collection at the Cambridge University Library. The Friedberg Genizah Website played an important role in collecting, preserving, photographing and cataloging these images, and these fragments were also added to the catalog, usually as physical joins to existing shelfmarks is the result of a concerted effort by the "Hachi Garsinan" team. 1 The first updates were added as an appendix to the catalog itself. Further "Friedberg Updates" were published on the website in 2015. 2 See Katz M., "Reuniting minute fragments", Genizah Fragments, 73, 2017, p. 3. European Genizah - Binding fragments Binding fragments are Talmud manuscripts,3 which were repurposed as book bindings, mostly in Europe. This source of many Hebrew manuscripts became known as the "European Genizah", inspired by similarities to the Cairo Genizah, a source of previously unknown manuscripts.4 The "European Genizah" is an inexhaustible source of additional fragments, for two main reasons. Firstly, new fragments that are still being discovered in libraries from time to time, since the work of digitizing and cataloguing hundreds of libraries across Europe is far from complete. Secondly, the manuscript fragments bindings were found still within the binding so only one side could be read and even that side was often and partially concealed or folded. It is often possible to extract the manuscript from the binding, and to preserve it in a way that the both sides can also be seen, folds can be opened, and to remove pieces of paper and parchment that were glued to the manuscript when it is served as binding can be removed. This preservation of the manuscripts adds to and updates the manuscript inventory in a further way, so that the body of fragments known to us grows and is enriched by additional textual witnesses. Joins One of the stated goals of the "Thesaurus of Talmudic Manuscripts" is to join different fragments that are from the same codex. In the course of this work, additional fragments were discovered that are a joins to known fragments and many combinations were proposed between sections that were visible, but no connection was made between them. Of course, these joins, as well as providing new information – shed light on the nature of the manuscripts. A fragment thought to be Talmudic is discovered to be actually from Halachot Gedolot, Rabbenu Chananel, Rif or Haggadot HaTalmud etc.5 3 There are, of course, a large number of binding fragments containing other Jewish works, but the only Talmudic fragments our relevant to our discussion here. 4 See S. Emanuel, Hidden Treasures from Europe, I, Jerusalem: 2015, pp. 17-63, and the literature listed there, and see the introductory section on binding fragments on the "Hachi Garsinan" website in the fjms.org portal. 5 For example (not within the Hachi Garsinan project), it has been recently discovered that some fragments identified as being from Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Talmud) are apparently in fact interpretation of the Rabbenu Hananel who quotes the Yerushalmi many times in his work, in fact these items should be removed completely from the catalog. See for example fragment T-S AS 94.290 no. 5605). This item was discovered by a user of the Friedberg site, (my student and friend) Emmanuel Mastéy. Details of Libraries In locating the manuscripts, it became clear that some of the names of the libraries required updating of date, or that the manuscripts had been moved etc.6 ; changes in the names of the libraries and location of the fragments were incorporated into the Friedberg Updates. Various Amendments The Hachi Garsinan project was carried out in with the kind cooperation of almost all libraries around the world that hold Bavli manuscripts, who supplied high definition images of the manuscripts in place of existing images (Photostats or microfilms from the Manuscript Institute of the National Library of Israel). Direct contact with the libraries and the high-quality images allowed the of addition of further details to the information on the catalogue items; the superior images allowed for a better reading of the manuscripts, which enabled updates to the descriptions of the content of the manuscripts and fragments. Selected Bibliography The Friedberg Updates also includes an updated bibliography with references to material not included in the bibliography first edition for various reasons, and to new material published recently. Further Reflections The rate at which new updates, new fragments, new readings etc.7 are being added to the Friedberg project as well as the amount of new bibliographical material produced each year on the subject of the Cairo Genizah, make it probable that the next catalog and updates will no longer be published in the fixed format of a book but in flexible electronic format. This format will allow easy addition of new material and updates, and linking of relevant fragments (such as joins), and could develop into a forum for discussing and review changes updates. It should be noted that already today, the Friedberg Updates are also published on the website under the title Sussmann Catalog 6 For example, fragment Fr. ebr. 12 (cat. no. 623), registered a library in Italy - Rimini, Biblioteca Civica Gambalunga. It was discovered that this fragment is in fact held in another library in the same city: Rimini, Biblioteca Diocesana - Mons. Emilio Biancheri. 7 For example, a new fragment which is a join to five known fragments; not only the new fragment, but all five fragments needed to be updated and the content link to the new fragment described. that is part of the FJMS portal. On the site users will able to browse and search both the Sussman catalog and the Friedberg Updates (currently only the first edition) according to various parameters. The catalog updates were carried out the framework of the Friedberg Project for Bavli Variants - "Hachi Garsinan". All these updates are the fruit of teamwork. New fragments and new joins were mostly proposed by the "Genuzoth" team, headed by Rabbi Israel Priesend, and approved by the "Genazim team". New descriptions and updates to existing descriptions were added team of "Genazim"- Nissim Louck, Hillel Gershuni, Asael Shmeltzer (detailed credits are available on the catalog's website). May the Lord repay their work. Menachem-Av, August 2017 https://fjms.genizah.org/ Friedberg Updates to the Thesaurus of Talmudic Manuscripts – edited by Yaacov Sussmann New fragments and New joins proposed mostly by "Genuzoth" and approved by "Genazim" New descriptions and updates to existing catalog entries compiled by "Genazim Team" – Nissim Louck in collaboration with Hillel Gershuni, Asael Shmeltzer (detailed credits on the catalogue website) Editor-in-Chief – Menachem Katz The Sussmann Catalog site was launched and updated added in framework of Friedberg Bavli Variants Project- "Hachi Garsinan" under the direction of Prof. Yaacov Choueka September 2017