Between an Auction and a Theme Park: Tracing Syriac Manuscripts in the United States, lecture by Grigory Kessel (Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton), Princeton University, April 18, 2022, 4:30–6:00 pm

Our knowledge about Syriac manuscripts in the United States is unacceptably poor. This has to do with two main reasons. First, many collections kept at the university libraries have been badly cataloged and some have not been cataloged at all. Second, in the course of the 20th century multiple transfers took place: some small institutes were closed and their archives relocated elsewhere, private collections dissolved and new appeared, diaspora communities of various denominations of Syriac Christianity brought manuscripts from the Middle East. In my talk, I will present a survey of the current landscape of collections of Syriac manuscripts in the United States while paying special attention to the vicissitudes affecting Syriac manuscripts that happened to come on the private market.

Grigory Kessel is currently a member at the School of Historical Studies of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. His research focusses on the literary heritage of Syriac Christianity with particular attention to the manuscripts.