Afghan Geniza

[1] However, the manuscripts found in Afghanistan have no known association to such a space, nor do the majority seem to share an origin in terms of location and time period; they are presently linked together due to their mass purchase by the National Library of Israel.

[6] In terms of geographic provenance,  while many of these objects’ origins are uncertain,  a majority of them hail from the northern Afghan regions of Bamiyan, Ghur, Rob, and Balkh.

The contents were found in a cave close to the Iran-Uzbekistan border by a group of locals; this archive likely belonged to a family of Jewish traders who participated in the Silk Road trade in the region.

[6] Therefore, a controversy exists around the ethics of their acquisition and digitization by the institution, with some scholars arguing that it normalizes their use outside of their country of origin and encourages academic interest, thus further incentivizing the illegal antiquities trade.

[6] Other scholars advocate for the analysis and mass distribution of this information in order to substantialize and remedy the current knowledge in circulation about the Islamic world because these documents showcase the pluralistic coexistence of Muslims and non-Muslims during that period.