Cairo Geniza

The Cairo Geniza refers to the extraordinary trove of medieval manuscripts recovered from a storeroom in the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo. Because Jewish custom forbade destroying documents bearing the name of God, generations deposited letters, contracts, prayers and everyday papers in the chamber, preserving them for a thousand years in the dry climate. Dispersed to libraries worldwide, the material has illuminated trade, law and daily life across the medieval Mediterranean.