Around 930 CE, the most perfect copy of the Hebrew Bible was written. Over the centuries, it was stolen by Crusaders, ransomed to Egypt and eventually found a home in Syria, where it was protected by the Jewish community in Aleppo. Today it's in Jerusalem, but how it arrived there with nearly half the pages missing is a story of subterfuge, state cover-ups and even greed. Doug is joined by journalist Matti Friedman to talk about "The Aleppo Codex" and the role it played in creating modern Israel. (Rebroadcast)
Matti Friedman is a reporter for The Times of Israel. He has also been a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and for the Associated Press, where he specialized in religion and archeology in Israel and the Palestinian territories. His book is called The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible [Amazon/Indiebound]
Resources:
Explore The Aleppo Codex online at the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem
Music:
- Tim Rayborn, Empeza - psaltery (Sephardic Jewish)
- Populous, Maqam Saba
- Sephardic Tinge, Morenica
