Much of what you expect to see when you open up a Bible commentary was shaped by the prolific and revolutionary works composed in Judeo-Arabic between about 900-1200 CE. In this series, I will present a broad overview of Karaite Jewish history, and will closely read selections from the writings of Karaite scholars living in the vibrant intellectual metropolis that was tenth-century Baghdad, newly translated from Judeo-Arabic manuscripts.

Via this close reading, we will learn central features of Judeo-Arabic Bible interpretation, and will gain an appreciation for the groundbreaking changes in the Jewish bookshelf that occurred during the heyday of Judeo-Arabic.

Miriam Goldstein was trained at Harvard, Cambridge and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is professor in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A specialist in medieval Judeo-Arabic texts, Goldstein focuses on interreligious relations in the medieval Arabic-speaking world as well as Judeo-Arabic Bible exegesis.