The Cairo Genizah, from PBS Learning Media
In this video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews, Simon Schama explores the singular medieval phenomenon known as the Cairo Genizah, a repository of some 300,000 ancient documents preserved in a hole in the wall in a synagogue in Cairo. From approximately 1000-1500 AD, the Jews of Cairo deposited a wide assortment of documents, from sacred to secular, ancient bible texts to shopping lists, unwittingly creating a time capsule that offers modern man an unprecedented look at medieval life not only for the Jews, but for their Muslim neighbors as well.
Meets 9-12 educational content standards in multiple states.
