Judeo-Persian literature (i.e., New Persian texts written in Hebrew characters) is a vast corpus of writings composed in different dialects and genres by the Jews of Persia from the 8th to 20th century. Although this corpus has been studied by specialists since the nineteenth century, these sources have not yet been fully integrated into Jewish Studies or Iranian Studies despite their tremendous and unique value to the history of Jews in the medieval Islamic world, the study of Jewish exegesis and translation, the reception of classical Persian literature, Iranian linguistics and dialectology, among other topics.

Register to attend

Tuesday, December 6, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

• 8-9am: Julia Rubanovich (Hebrew University of Jerusalem): "The Poet at Work: Exploring the Paratextual Sections in Shāhīn’s Poems"
• 9-10am: Ofir Haim: "The Commentaries on Prophets in Judeo-Persian Karaite Exegesis"
• 10-11am: Shervin Farridnejad (Universität Hamburg) and Ariane Sadjed :“Literary and Anthropological Perspectives on Judeo-Persian Wedding Songs”
• 11-12pm: Vera Moreen : "In Praise of Safavid Rulers:  Three Judeo-Persian Panegyrics of Darwīsh Sabzavārī (16th century)"

Wednesday, December 7, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

• 8-9a: Ludwig Paul (Universität Hamburg): "Judaeo-Persian Tafsirs of the 13th-17th centuries C.E. and Their History of Transmission"
• 9-10am: Thomas Loy: "The language of “Mercy” and the Judeo-Persian newspaper Rakhamim (1910–1914)"
• 10-11am: Ali B. Langroudi : "On Features of Trans-Judeo-Persian Manuscripts: A Case Study of the Proverbs of Solomon I in Four Codices"
• 11-12pm: May Shaddel: "Ethno-religion Responds to World Empire: The Judaeo-Persian Apocalypse of Daniel in Its Late Antique Context"
• 12-1pm: Jason Mokhtarian (Cornell University): "The Book of Esther in Judeo-Persian (MS Hébreu 127, Bibliothèque nationale de France)"
• 1-2pm: Nahid Pirnazar: "How Did Iranian Literature Change the Biblical Account of Joseph and Potiphar's Wife?"

Sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program and Department of Near Eastern Studies

Image credit: British Library Or.8212/166, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons