Jewish Books in North Africa
Between the Early Modern and Modern Worlds
Indiana University Press · Print & ebook · June 3, 2025
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- Who it’s for
- Books across North Africa’s Jewish communities and the networks they traveled.
- Genres
- Jewish History, North African History
- Published
- Indiana University Press, June 3, 2025
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Jewish Books in North Africa delves into the multifaceted significance of books among North African Jews. From the late Middle Ages to the 19th century, this exploration encompasses the history, manufacture, distribution, and readership of Jewish books. These texts were not mere vessels of knowledge; they were integral to a vibrant cultural tapestry that stretched across North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
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Author Noam Sienna unveils a vast Sephardic world created by these books. This literary network transcended geographical boundaries, connecting Jewish communities from Fez and Tunis to Salonica, Jerusalem, and Livorno.By examining cultural centers and tracing the journey of these texts, Sienna provides depth to our understanding of a remarkably global and worldly book culture, and its evolving role in the growth of Jewish modernity. While the content of Jewish books has long fascinated scholars, Jewish Books in North Africa shifts our focus to the physical context. These books were not isolated artifacts; they were embedded in cultural networks during a period of religious, political, and cultural transformation. Sienna's work sheds light on the intricate interplay between books and the dynamic world in which they existed.
Jewish Book Networks
Books across North Africa’s Jewish communities and the networks they traveled.
Come here for
- The history and manufacture of Jewish books in North Africa
- Their distribution and readership from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century
Expect
- Books situated in cultural networks across North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe
- Their evolving role in the growth of Jewish modernity
Where it sits
| Jewish History | 56% |
|---|---|
| North African History | 47% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- North African History
- Jewish History
- Jewish Literary Criticism
- Authors
- Noam Sienna
- Publisher
- Indiana University Press
- Published
- June 3, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- North African History