Abstract
Marsh’s Library in Dublin, Ireland, is an immaculately preserved library from the early eighteenth century. Founded by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh, the library has an extensive collection of Jewish and Hebrew books which includes Hebrew Bibles, Talmudic texts, rabbinic writings, and Yiddish books that date back to the early modern period. This study explores a cross section of the Jewish and Hebrew books in Marsh’s collection, with particular focus on issues of materiality—that is, how these books as material artefacts can inform our understanding of early modern history, religion, and intercultural engagement. We suggest that these books, a majority of which come from Marsh’s personal collection, are a valuable resource for reflection on (1) Christian engagement with Jewish culture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, (2) the production, use, and travel of Jewish books in early modern Europe, and (3) snapshots of Jewish life in early modern Ireland and beyond.
Highlights
In a working-class area of Dublin, Ireland, beside St Patrick’s Cathedral, is an eighteenth-century building that is home to Marsh’s Library
The library was opened in 1707 and was the first public library in Ireland (Osborough 2009). It holds a collection of books from the early modern period that is remarkably well preserved, and which offers an important window into early modern Ireland (McCarthy 2003; McCarthy and Simmons 2004)
Hebrew Bibles, Talmudic texts, rabbinic writings, and Yiddish books that date back to the early modern period, a majority of which come from Marsh’s personal collection.3. These books, we suggest, are a valuable resource for reflection on (1) Christian engagement with Jewish culture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, (2) the production, use, and travel of Jewish books in early modern Europe, and (3) snapshots of Jewish life in early modern Ireland and beyond
Summary
In a working-class area of Dublin, Ireland, beside St Patrick’s Cathedral, is an eighteenth-century building that is home to Marsh’s Library. Hebrew Bibles, Talmudic texts, rabbinic writings, and Yiddish books that date back to the early modern period, a majority of which come from Marsh’s personal collection.. Hebrew Bibles, Talmudic texts, rabbinic writings, and Yiddish books that date back to the early modern period, a majority of which come from Marsh’s personal collection.3 These books, we suggest, are a valuable resource for reflection on (1) Christian engagement with Jewish culture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, (2) the production, use, and travel of Jewish books in early modern Europe, and (3) snapshots of Jewish life in early modern Ireland and beyond. Before turning to the books in the collection, we begin with an account of Archbishop Marsh and the library bearing his name.
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