Aleppo Codex, written over 1,000 years ago in Tiberias, is considered the most important and perfect copy of the Hebrew Bible in existence Manuscript, which survived for centuries and was lost twice, now deemed "integral part of humanity's treasures." Yori Yalon The Aleppo Codex | צילום: Ben-Zvi Institute | The Aleppo Codex, on permanent display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, has been declared a world treasure by UNESCO and will be listed in the organization's Memory of the World Register. Written in Tiberias in 930 C.E., the Aleppo Codex is one of the most important biblical manuscripts of all time and twice was in danger of being lost. Crusader rulers saved the book from an ancient Jerusalem synagogue and moved it to Egypt, where, in the 12th century C.E., the Jewish community of Cairo purchased it for an immense sum of money. Two centuries later, it found its way to Aleppo in Syria. Prior to the establishment of the State of Israel, the manuscripts disappeared after an outraged mob rioted against the Aleppo Jewish community. In 1957, it was brought to Israel in a secret operation. Now the codex, known as the first Hebrew Bible bound in book form, has been deemed by UNESCO as a unique treasure of universal value. The codex, which was given to the Ben-Zvi Institute for the study of Jewish Communities in the East by former President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, is currently on display in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, a joint exhibit by both institutions. Dr. Adolfo Roitman, curator of the Shrine of the Book, told Israel Hayom: "This is recognition of the Aleppo Codex as an integral part of humanity's cultural treasures, and it's miraculous that the manuscript, which was created in Israel, is part of the human legacy. The international recognition testifies to the status of the codex as part of the treasures of humanity and also to the enormous importance of the codex, which was written in Tiberias over 1,000 years ago." Ben-Zvi Institute Director Yaakov Yaniv said, "The Aleppo Codex Bible proves through its trials, its power, and its survival the story of the Jewish people from the days of the Diaspora and destruction through the current day." |
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