Volume on 'Patriarchs - tn.riclThs
Rutgers U. Jewish History Series

A monumental work, the pub-
lishing of which was undertaken
by Rutgers University Press, con-
tinues to expand with the appear-
ance of the second volume in the
series on "Ancient Times."
Rutgers has just issued the
volume "Patriarchs," as part of
its series on "The World History
of the Jewish People," which is to
trace Jewish history from Abra-
ham to the present. The first vol-
ume, "At the Dawn of Civiliza-
tion — A Background of Biblical
History," was edited by the late
Prof. Ephraim A. Speiser.
"Patriarchs" was edited by
Prof. Benjamin Mazar of the
Hebrew University, the eminent
archeologist whose findings, evi-
denced in the scores of photo-
graphs in this volume, attest to
the immensity of the present
volume. The annotations, the
bibliography, the two maps and
eight tables, the 57 photos and
41 figures add invaluably to
Jewish scholarly efforts.
With Profs. Eliahu Feldman and
Alexander Peli as assistant and
managing editors, the total effort
of the Rutgers published works
has significance marked by estab-
lished comprehensive authorship.
Eminent authorities in addition
to Prof. Mazar, whose essays com-
pile the studies on the patriarchs,
include Profs. H. Lc Ginsberg, S.
Yeivin, H. Tadmor, Y. Yadin, M.
Haran, N. Greenberg, J. Liver,

PROF. BENJAMIN MAZAR

S. S. E. •Loewenstamm and two
essays by the late Prof. Speiser.
Because of the great accomplish-
ments archeologically, in which
Prof. Mazer has an important
share, the collected data in the new
volume is immeasurably vital. In
his preface to the second volume
of the planned monumental col-
lection of historical data, the editor
points out that "it is not seldom
that discoveries cancel out accept-
vd hypotheses and open up new
hbrizons for the understanding of

Processes Developed to Determine
Origin, Date of Hebrew Manuscripts

By KAREN GERSHON

(Copyright 1971, JTA Inc.)
Editor's Note: Karen Gershon is a
German-born author who was brought
up in England where she lived most
of her life before settling in Israel
a few years ago.

The processes employed by
physicists and opticians are being
applied to the morphology of let-
ters by a team of researchers
analyzing medieval Hebrew manu-
scripts.
"They are trying to develop a
mechanical device to compare let-
ters more easily and accurately
than can be done by the human
eye, in order to enable us to group
manuscripts according to their
script," explains Dr. Malachi Beit-
Arie, director of the Institute of
Microfilms of Hebrew Manuscripts
at the Jewish National and Uni-
versity Library on the Hebrew
University campus and head of
the Hebrew Paleography Project.
A scientific assessment of the
Ok• amount of ink in the letters pro-
duces something like an electro-
encephalogram, which gives one
clues to the time and place of
origin of an ancient manuscript.
To identify, classify and de-
termine the dates and origins
of medieval Hebrew manuscripts
is the purpose of the Hebrew
Paleography Project, which was
founded in 1965 and is spon-
sored by the Israel Academy of
Sciences and Humanities and the
Institut de Recherche at d'His-
toire des Textes of the Centre
National de la Recherche Scien-
tifique in Paris.
Most medieval Hebrew manu-
scripts have been lost; the major-
ity of those which have been pre-
served are undated. Frequently,
not even the place of origin is cer-
tain.
The early Hebrew manuscripts
ow- originated over a large geogra-
phical area, probably larger than
that of Latin manuscripts, extend-
ing as far as India and even China,
and including the Orient, North
Africa and all of Europe.
Although Jewish scribes in their
wanderings—enforced or by choice
—may well have kept their native

48 Friday, April 30, 1971

—

style of writing, at least in the
first generation, the researchers
believe that they would then adopt
the local technical tradition of
producing hand books.

There are very few dated He-
brew manuscripts before the 13th
Century. The oldest known was
written in the years 895-96 CE,
and the oldest in the possession
of the Jewish National and Univer-
sity Library is a copy of Parashat
Shelach Lecha, dating from 1106.
A copy of the Mishna Torah of
Maimonides was written in Spain
in , the '14th Century and partly
illustrated during the following
century in Italy; the history of its
wanderings is recorded in detail
on the endpaper.
Altogether, there are known to
exist about 2,500 dated medieval
Hebrew manuscripts. Data collect-
ed from the dated manuscripts will
be used to establish criteria for
dating and localizing all the
others.

"We use a very detailed ques-
tionnaire to record the character-
istics of the dated manuscripts,"
Dr. Beit-Arie explained, "not only
the scribal features such as the
form of the letters and graphic
signs and habits, but also the
various physical aspects."

The Jewish University and
National Library has for the past
20 years been building up a
comprehensive collection of
manuscripts written in Hebrew
characters in languages spoken
by Jews. Of the 10,000 original
Hebrew manuscripts preserved
in Israel, most are to be found
here.

phenomena which determined the
fate of the country and its neigh-
bors."
Writing about the land and the
people of Israel, he declares:
"The historical fate of the Is-
raelite people was to a large
extent determined by the geo-
graphical factor . . . Palestine,
to which Israelites have been
clinging since early antiquity,
represents the southwestern tip
of the Fertile Crescent, sepa-
rated by only a strip of desert
from Egypt."
He Makes the following impor-
tant observations with regard to
the recent discoveries: "Despite
the great achievements of archeo-
logical research and the wealth
of written evidence which brought
to light data of considerable im-
portance for the history of the
period and the various spheres of
man's activity, many extremely
difficult and obscure phenomena
still require solution. The problem
of primary concern is the evalua-
tion of the traditions and evidence
contained in the richest of all
sources — both quantitatively and
qualitatively—which goes directly
to the heart of the matter, and
provides a consummate, crystal-
lized expression of Israelite history
and culture."
It is in relation to such needs
that the works of the scholars who
participated in the writing of this
book serve a valuable purpose.
The alphabet and Semitic lan-
guages are defined, and the so,
cial background, beliefs and prac-
tices of the patriarchs are out-
lined.
There are important essays
dealing with the chronology of the
Second Millennium BCE, warfare
in that millennium, Ugaristic writ-
ings, the Bible and its historical
sources.
As Prof. Mazar has evaluated it,
this book "brings out the unique
nature of the Israelite people at
the time of its beginnings, and its
ancient spiritual creativity which
found expression in the Bible, thus
transforming it into one of the
decisive factors in the history of
mankind, and into a foundation
stone in the world of the spirit,
down to our own times."
—P.S.

1 UDIle 1-11.11allrb l_41/111111ILLUG J t in'uM

Nixon Reconsider M.E. Territory Stand

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The
American Israel Public Affairs
Committee appealed to the Nixon
administration to reconsider its
stand on territorial issues, so that
Israel might negotiate freely and
establish agreed and secure boun-
daries.
AIPAC's position was outlined
in a policy statement approved by
its executive committee for sub-
mission to the administration and
Congress at its 12th annual policy
conference in Washingon this week.
At the same time, AIPAC com-
mended the administration for its
determination not to permit an
arms imbalance.
AIPAC. said it was essential that
the government continue to pro-
vide Israel with military aid to
enable her to deter renewed ag-
gression.
The committee expressed re-
gret that the United States had
accepted Egypt's position that
Israel must withdraw to the old
international frontier, abandon-
ing territories which have served
as bases- for Egyptian aggresion.
Pointing out that the United
States had recognized that Secu-

rity Council Resolution 242 did
not endorse the old armistice lines,
the committee said that the 'U.S.
proposals are tantamount to an
endorsement of those precarious
frontiers and that the procedure
it had adopted impeded attain-
ment of a negotiated peace.
AIPAC also urged the United
States to work for withdrawal of
Soviet military forces and "to op-
pose any arrangements which
might legitimize their presence in
the area, which constitutes a threat
to the survival and independence
of all the countries of the region."
AIPAC said it believed that all
outstanding issues could be re-
solved by direct negotiations.
The policy statement will be sub-
mitted to 200 senators and repre-
sentatives who have accepted in-
vitations to attend committee
luncheons on Capiol Hill celebrat-
ing Israel's 23rd birthday and hon-
oring Israel's Ambassador Itzhak
Rabin.
The executive committee, which
met in New York last week, re-
elected Irving Kane of Cleveland
as chairman.

Morse Equates Govt. Indifference
on Vietnam to the Era of Nazism

Arthur B. Morse, author of
"While Six Million Died," said
that U.S. government indifference
to the "overwhelming public dis-
approval" of the Vietnam war
can be compared with the govern-
ment's "cynical, dishonest" ap-
proach it took toward the Jewish
victims of the Nazi era. •
Morse, as the main speaker at
the Holocaust Memorial Day ob-
servance held at Yeshiva Univer-
sity, New York, detailed the na-
tional outcry of church, civic, so-
cial and legislative bodies, before
and during Hitler's persecution of
European Jewry, and the U.S.
government's failure to take any
action.
Morse said the "Nixon admin-
istration's attempts to deceive
the American people can be
compared to that earlier terri-
ble chapter in American his-
tory."
What is similar, too, he said, is
"the abandonment of moral tradi-
tions which had made the U.S.

admired and respected throughout
the world." Questioning U.S. "even-
handed" policy toward Israel, he
asked "who has built a democratic
society in the Middle East: con-
quered disease and illiteracy,
fought with the allies against the
Nazis during World War II—the
Arabs or the Israelis?"
He said the U.S should use
its full moral, not simply mili-
tary authority, to bring about
peace in the Middle East which
does not leave Israel vulnerable
to future attack.
Morse told the some 1,000 stu-
dents that a "new generation, to
whom holocausts are unthinkable,
is developing, in many cases in
spite of the political authority
which seeks to frustrate it." He
said this new generation is ap-
pearing in capitalist and Commu-
nist countries, "advocating a world
of love, simplicity and human re- r .
lations without hypocrisy . . . They
are unwilling to be manipulate&
They have recognized the univer-
sality of decency."

ISRAEL:1 '9E41LE 71t111 17)41V)

A Conversation -Series

Released by:

By Shlomo Kodesh

TARBUTH FOUNDATION.

A BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR HER HUSBAND

FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEBREW CULTURE

4

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Cast: A salesman. and a young customer. Scene: A department store.

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a man on his birthday.

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price.

Customer: I'm sorry. My husband doesn't use an electric shaver. He has

.n.'77?u!r1

a sensitive skin and shaves with it razor blade and soap.

You kno•.the sabras in Israel. He prefers an open shirt to any

S alesman:

What do you think

of

a lovely.leather briefcase? We received

a shipment of briefcases of all kinds.

C USt

Exactly a year ago I

bought hint a leather briefcase for his

birthday. The briefcase is still like new. Its a shame. A depart-

ment store full to met- flo•ing, and I can't find in it a suitable

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

SalL;man. Patience, madam, ....e•ye just begun. You will lied we ha•e

additional hundreds of lovely items. By the way, what about a

nice wristwatch? We have a selection of watches.

Customer:

A watch for my husband? No. thank you. He has four watches.

But, what did you say? A witch? Honestly. not a bad idea.

My husband does not like my wristwatch. He says its too large

and is not becoming to my small hand.

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A gold witch. not too ornate. My husband doesn't like Un-
necessary gee-gam.s. It will he a lovely surprise for my husband

for his birthday...

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Customer: That's it! \Yould yosi chow me a small wristwatch for myself?

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present for my husband.

In addition, about 26,000 micro-
films — representing more than
half of the existing Hebrew manu-
scripts in the world (apart from
Israel)—have been collected from
many sources, including collec-
tions without printed catalogues,
and those in monasteries and old
archives in small towns all over
Europe. Several hundred were ob-
tained from Russia before the Six-
Day War.

-

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of lovel y ties of ;ill shades.

other .shirt..

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type of electric shaver. Something unique. and at a reasonable

Customer: No. he has a has full of ties. When does he wear a tie?

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Salesman: You've come at the right time. Yesterday we received a new

Salesman: Perhaps a pretty tic. We ha, a stock

roans

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Salesman: Good morning. madam. May I help you?

Customer, I want to buy something for my husband. Something special for

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Excerpted from the book "Israel With A Smile", published by Tarbuth Foundation, 515 Park Ave., N. Y. C. 10022