The Jewish Library in Late Antiquity
Inspired, We Look Further
More On The
JLib
research project
The Jewish Library in Late Antiquity (JLib) is a research project focused on reconstructing forgotten texts of the Jewish library from late antiquity through their scattered – and hitherto neglected – fragments.
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Literary Inspiration
The project draws inspiration from Jorge Luis Borges's (1899–1986) works, particularly his short stories featuring endless, labyrinthine books and libraries as symbols of human culture. Further inspiration comes from Carlos Ruiz Zafón's (1964–2020) novel The Shadow of the Wind, which features the Cemetery of Forgotten Books as a central element.​
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Scope and Focus
JLib encompasses all types of textual production, with a special focus on previously unpublished texts, including:
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Manuals of divination and astrology
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Medical recipes
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Proverbs
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Polemical texts
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Incantations
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Amulets
Selection Criteria
The main criteria for inclusion in JLib are:
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Jewish provenance (e.g., the Cairo Genizah)
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The use of Aramaic (or, in some cases, Hebrew)
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The availability of external criteria for identifying the text as a late-antique Jewish text
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Project Goal
JLib's central premise is to illuminate the forgotten texts of Jewish late antiquity. While some Jewish texts from this period are well-known and extensively studied, others have been entirely neglected. By focusing on these forgotten texts, JLib aims to shed new light on ancient Jewish culture and transform our understanding of late antique Judaism.