Shared Memory and History: The Abrahamic Legacy in Medieval Judaeo-Arabic Poetry from the Cairo Genizah

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your fascinating research on the discovery of Judaeo-Arabic fragments in the Genizah manuscripts. I have added some comments to the PDF file for your review and response.

Additionally, I noticed a couple of issues that require attention:

1. The paper currently lacks a bibliography. Please make sure to include a complete bibliography at the end of the paper.
2. In the following sentence, you mention "see below," but there is no subsequent reference: "According to the initial order of the fragment's leaves, this line is the last line of the previous leaf (verso) of the same fragment, see below."Please revise or clarify this section to ensure consistency.

I look forward to your revisions based on the comments provided.

Best regards,

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The overall language quality is good, though a few minor typos need to be corrected. I have highlighted these in the PDF for your review.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your insightful comments, which I found incredibly helpful in improving the paper. Below are my detailed responses. 

Comment 1 : [ I have added some comments to the PDF file for your review and response].

Response: I have checked and consider them all as follows:

1. delteded the extra space mentioned
2. Suggestion: you can refer to Islamic revelation regarding the juristic authority of Jews, the way Quran talks about the people of the book as the origin of any other Islamic later developments concerning the way non-Muslims in Muslims land. Answer: I have taken the suggestion into account and added some sentences to the text, which can be viewed in the track changesas follows  [The Qur'an acknowledges Jews and Christians as “People of the Book” (ʾAhl al-kitāb), establishing their juristic authority and instructing Muslims to respect their earlier rev-elations. While it notes that Jews and Christians will not be satisfied until Muslims adopt their beliefs, true guidance is found in following the religion of Abraham, i.e., Islam, while recognizing all prophets' revelations, including those Moses, and Jesus, without distinction (Qurʾan 2:120-22, 130-136, 256).]
3. I have corrected “God” to “the Old Testament” in line 164 for greater accuracy.
4. The term "ḥanīf," suggested for inclusion in line 210, has been considered, and the entire sentence has been paraphrased accordingly. [Muslims view Islam as the continuation of Abraham's upright (ḥanīf) faith, asserting that Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, nor a polytheist (e.g., Qur'an 3:67, 95, 161). ]
5. I have corrected the typo in line 273 to read interesting”.
6. In the second line in the conclusion, I completed the missing sentence after “hope” to read: hope for Jews, drawing on their ancestral connection to Abraham, emphasizing the promise of gathering and unity within their community.
7. The last “see below” in the Note section was incorrectly included and has been removed.

Comment 2 [The paper currently lacks a bibliography. Please make sure to include a complete bibliography at the end of the paper].

• Response: I have included a complete bibliography at the end of the article. It appears that this was not transmitted properly during submission. I have double-checked and ensured that the bibliography is now included and formatted correctly in the revised version which I will upload after consider all reviwers' comments. 

Comments 2: [In the following sentence, you mention "see below," but there is no subsequent reference: "According to the initial order of the fragment's leaves, this line is the last line of the previous leaf (verso) of the same fragment, see below. “Please revise or clarify this section to ensure consistency].

• Response: The same answer of point 7 above : The “see below” in the Note section was incorrectly included and has been removed

Thank you and best regards, 

The Author

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a terrific paper that evidences sterling work in an area of Genizah studies that has hitherto been overlooked. I would encourage the publication of this paper. However, the author should pay close attention to the narrative that they are crafting. In this respect the author should critically appraise the notion of the Abrahamic in the introductory passage. Numerous scholars have developed theoretical innovation around the Abrahmic in the Humanities such as Jacques Derrida, Sarah Stroumsa (already cited for her historical scholarship on Al-Andalus), Gil Anidjar, and Aaron Hughes and,  more recently, in the social sciences Elisabeth Becker-Topkara. Since this notion is at the heart of this article's contribution some theoretical set-up work on the notion would be extremely useful and would allow the author to demonstrate how they are providing a pre-history to its emergence. The link to poiesis/piyyutim and the relationality that many of those scholars argue could further cement the ongoing significance of the sources that the authors delves into.

For the sake of creating further integration between textual analysis and narrative/argument around the Abrahamic it would be useful too that the author develop the point about Arabic in the Genizah and what it testifies to. This could be better signalled throughout as at times the article gives too much analytical detail on the fragments and fails to create a narratival flow/coherence argument. To that end I would recommend dipping into the "Arabic & Islam" section of the new "Illustrated Cairo Genizah" (Poseguy & Schmierer-Lee) which is very explicit about the importance of Arabic texts and their imbrication with Judaeo-Arabic and Judaeo-Islamic interculturality. Indeed there is a question about the degree to which Abrahamic for this papers essentially means Judaeo-Islamic.

To do both of these things i.e. build theoretical detail, demonstrate innovation within it and more convincingly argue that the examples fit more time should be dedicated to showing why the examples chosen fit well. On this point it is not clear why Ibn Abi al-Salt should be included or at least the point could be enfolded into the theoretical set-up section at the end when the author explains what the poetry contributes in a line (with refs). This will help the reader understand the choice of fragments/texts and enable the author to think through their order and relevance.

Specifics:

The first three paragraphs on the Genizah can be brought into one overview but even this should come after a paragraph that argues the central salience of this article. The question of why the Genizah should primarily have had a Jewish Studies focus is important and relate to the points about Judaeo-Arabic interculturality and Judaeo-Islamic intellectual context these points on linguistic and socio-cultural connectivity could be brought into conversation in the introduction in relation to the notion of poiesis.

Specifiying who is being discussed is important for example it is unclear who is the subject of the phrase "A keenness to learn Arabic". Likewise what is it about "Arabic worship instruction" in the work of Gaon that demonstrate a permeation of Islamic cultures into Jewish text?

Likewise "Jews received favourable and benevolent treatment" is something of a generalisation. It is important to be more nuanced, particularly as the essay addresses broad swathes of changing histories.

Goitein and Lewis could come in your theoretical set-up and then you can return to the points about symbiosis. The point about coexistence is interesting but requires further expansion. Similarly, when the author says "romanticised lineage" there appears to be an argument, make it clearer.

Discussion on lineage can be put into the theoretical contribution and then brought back to the examples to underline the question of "faith" (often perceived of as an intensely Christian notion, somewhat irrelevant to observance) and "beliefs", likewise a term that has been much critiqued.

The section on Qibt is somewhat confusing and it is unclear what point is being made, unlike the point on Quranic narratives in aggadot which seems to further suture the entanglement question.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

See above

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your insightful comments, which I found incredibly helpful in improving the paper. Below are my detailed responses.

1. General remarkable and changes by the authors: After carefully considering the reviewers' comments and suggestions, I have made adjustments to the manuscript. Since my expertise lies in historical and socio-cultural study than theology, philosophy, and Judaism, expanding the article to include more “theological” discussion would stray from my specialization and the primary aim of the paper. However, I have incorporated relevant aspects mentioned by the reviewer into the discussion to support the historical and cultural analysis, in alignment with his/her feedback. This approach ensures that the paper remains focused and within the scope of my expertise and the research objective while addressing the reviewers' recommendations.
2. Comment :According to the crossed points in the Review Report Form: The reviewer suggests moderate English editing.

• Answer: The article was reviewed, proofed, and corrected for linguistic accuracy (see track changes).

3. Comment: The reviewer suggests bringing new materials to strength the arguments and the theoretical frame work of the article.

• Answer: Although this point was not highlighted by the other two reviewers, I find it interesting and have incorporated the suggestions regarding the theoretical innovations around the Abrahamic in the Humanities. Specifically, I have improved and reformed the theoretical part in the introduction using sources such as Peters (2018), Silverstein & Stroumsa (2015), Hughes (2012), Levenson (2012), Busse (1998), and Kuschel (1995), as well as Delaney (2017) and Wittgenstein (1953).

4. Comment: The reviewer suggests developing “the point about Arabic in the Genizah and what it testifies to,” and recommends referring to the "Arabic & Islam" section of the new "Illustrated Cairo Genizah" (Posegay & Schmierer-Lee), which emphasizes the importance of Arabic texts and their integration with Judaeo-Arabic and Judaeo-Islamic interculturality.

• Answer: As I work on the Arabic Genizah project and know one of the book's authors, working in research partnership with the Genizah research Unit in Cambridge, I have examined many Arabic fragments mentioned in the book. Therefore, I do not believe the new book would significantly benefit the discussion here. Instead, it is more important to highlight specific segments, emphasizing their significance among the many others that need study. Khan (1993 & 2007) provides a more comprehensive analysis of the Arabic and Aramaic legal and administrative fragments from the Genizah, which I briefly referenced in my introduction. I have also enhanced this section based on the reviewer's suggestions, incorporating additional references, including Wagner (2010), which discusses the linguistic variety of Judaeo-Arabic in letters from the Cairo Genizah.

5. Comment: The reviewer suggests that the author should dedicate more time to explaining why the chosen examples are relevant to the theoretical framework. Specifically, regarding the inclusion of Ibn Abi al-Salt and recommend integrating this discussion into the theoretical setup section to clarify the contribution of the poetry and enhance the reader's understanding of the selected fragments and their significance.

• Short Answer: Thank you for your valuable feedback. I appreciate your suggestion to elaborate on Ibn Abi al-Salt, and I have moved that discussion to the forefront, integrating it more effectively into the overall analysis. Please see the tracked changes for details.

6. Comment: The reviewer suggests to summarize the first three paragraphs about the Genizah and place them after the paragraph that argues the central importance of this article.

• Short Answer: Thank you for your insightful comment. I believe that ca. 400-word introduction to the Genizah is already quite concise. Additionally, I have outlined the article’s objective in the abstract, followed by a brief introduction to the Genizah, effectively setting the stage for the article’s discussion. Therefore, I think it is best to maintain the current structure, especially since the other two reviewers did not raise similar concerns. However, I have incorporated many of your valuable suggestions. Thanks again for your input.

7. Comment: “Specifiying who is being discussed is important for example it is unclear who is the subject of the phrase "A keenness to learn Arabic". Likewise what is it about "Arabic worship instruction" in the work of Gaon that demonstrate a permeation of Islamic cultures into Jewish text?”

• Answer: My focus here is not on theological issues or on an extended discussion of the points mentioned, which indeed merit exploration in specialized studies within that field. Rather, I use this example of Judaeo-Arabic in Jewish daily life to illustrate its contextual presence in the Genizah, particularly as it relates to Arabic poetry. The suggestion you provided would be better suited for a more detailed discussion on the scholarship surrounding figures like Gaon and Maimonides, as well as the role of Jewish religious texts in Arabic, which could be developed in a separate study.

8. Comment regarding “something of a generalisation.”

• Answer:

9. Comments on “romanticised lineage” & “faith”

• Answer: The revised text has been thoughtfully improved, as you can see in the revised version. I have also removed the term "Faith" from the title to better reflect the article's core focus, while retaining discussions of faith within the content to support the historical, cultural, and literary analysis. This change aligns the title with the article's content and incorporates relevant theological aspects, addressing the reviewers' feedback.

10. Comment: “The section on Qibt is somewhat confusing and it is unclear…”

• Answer: I think it is clear, and I should emphasize its significance in this context, as this mention is unique mention among all Arabic texts in the Genizah that address such themes. It illustrates how it reflects both the Egyptian cultural perspective and the Islamic Qurʾānic narrative of the story of Moses and the Israelites. However, I have revised it slightly for clarity.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Line 198-99, Abraham is an Islamic prophet, one in the line starting with Adam, not a pre-Islam prophet

Line 259 Moses mentioned without a title such as the mater prophet as he regularly mentioned in Jewish religious text, what the author makes of this? 

what is unknown about those pieces of the Geniza?

Author Response

Answer to the Comments of Reviewer 3

Comment 1: “Line 198-99, Abraham is an Islamic prophet, one in the line starting with Adam, not a pre-Islam prophet”

• Answer: I did not include Adam in the discussion or mention him in the text. However, I have revised the sentence for clarity.

Comment: “Line 259 Moses mentioned without a title such as the mater prophet as he regularly mentioned in Jewish religious text, what the author makes of this?” 

• Answer: I believe the poet references Moses from a literary or cultural perspective, recognizing him as a significant figure without the hierarchical implications often linked to such titles. However, the fragments contain many holes, gaps and damaged sections, which may indicate that this title was mentioned in an earlier part of the poem that is now missing.

Comment: “what is unknown about those pieces of the Geniza?”

• Answer: As mentioned in the introduction, these works are unique in their presentation of themes in Judaeo-Arabic poetry while also maintaining the cultural style of reciting poetry, similar to Egyptianmawwāl. Additionally, they have not been published, translated, or studied previously. I mad this more clear to the revised introduction. Thanks for this insightful comment and all other suggestion.

With best regards and appreciation, 

The Author

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author has either integrated their responses to my queries or responded in a convincing manner as to why they cannot. This is now publishable.