This volume reconsiders the question of literacy and communication in pre-modern societies from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Methodologically, its authors rely on the assumption that not only the content of a specific message, but also its material form and outlook effect the way in which textual artefacts are understood and interpreted by their individual readers or beholders. Furthermore, writers consciously and at times unconsciously design texts by applying different writing surfaces, writing implements or layouts.
The volume includes examples from the Ancient Orient,...

Following Levita's statement, the Masorah transmitted by medieval illuminated manuscripts was generally considered as less significant for the study of the biblical and masoretical knowledge in the Jewish world. The biblical codices produced in Ashkenaz were considerably disregarded compared to Spanish codices. Challenging this assertion, this work engages in a reflection on the link between the standard Eastern tradition and the Ashkenazic biblical text-culture of the 13^th century.

Elodie Attia provides an edition of thirteen cases taken from MS Vat. Ebr. 14, offering...

The present volume comprises 6 highly original studies on material text cultures in different nontypographic societies stretching from the 3^rd millennium cuneiform textual record of Ancient Mesopotamia to 20^th century Qur'anic boards of northern and central African provenience. It provides a multidisciplinary approach to material text cultures complementary to the interdisciplinary, strongly theory-grounded research scheme of the CRC 933. Six research fellowships were awarded to outstanding young researchers for innovative, high-risk research proposals pertinent to...