Abstract
In recent years, important advances have been made in our knowledge concerning the contribution of the medieval Karaites to the study of the Hebrew language. The manuscripts relating to the linguistic activities of the Karaites are found mainly in the so called second Firkovitch collection, which was acquired by Firkovitch in the Near East between the years 1863 and 1865. Ibn Nūḥ was heir to a tradition of Hebrew grammar that had developed among the Karaites of Iraq and Iran. This was brought to Jerusalem in the migrations of Karaites from the East during the tenth century. Indeed some anonymous Karaite Bible commentaries that are extant contain grammatical concepts relating to the early Karaite tradition, such as a commentary on Hosea that has been reconstructed from Geniza fragments by Friedrich Niessen. According to a passage in one anonymous medieval Karaite source, the discipline of grammar began in Iṣfahān. Keywords: Firkovitch collection; Friedrich Niessen; Hebrew grammar; Iṣfahān; Ibn Nūḥ; Iran; Iraq; medieval Karaite source
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