Ancient Jewish manuscripts showcased online by British Library

The online collection features sacred texts of  nine different faiths

By World Israel News Staff 

The British Library has released an online collection entitled “Discovering Sacred Texts” which provides access to such texts from nine different faiths: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, the Baha’i Faith, and Zoroastrianism.

“This site gives free access to an incredible range of texts, videos, and curated articles relating to some of the world’s major faiths, which we hope will provide an invaluable tool for students, teachers, and lifelong learners all over the world,” said Alex Whitfield, Head of Learning at the British Library .

The collection includes what is said to be one of the only left-unmutilated or uncensored copies of the Talmud that escaped the public burnings of Jewish law books during the Middle Ages, the first complete printed text of the Mishnah, and the Gaster Bible, which is one of the earliest surviving Hebrew biblical codices thought to have been created in Egypt around the 10th century CE.

It also includes Johann Gutenberg’s Bible, which is said to be the earliest surviving copy of the complete New Testament, and the Ma’il Qur’an, one of the very earliest Qur’ans in the world, dating back to the 8th century.

A curated selection of the collection items representing these faiths will also be on physical display in the British Library’s free permanent Treasures Gallery.

The project has been generously supported by the Dangoor Education fund alongside other donors.

“These texts form the bedrock of our human civilization and when compared and contrasted by their viewers will demonstrate that our sacred texts all speak a similar language of humanity, compassion, and the norms of a fair and equitable society,” said David Dangoor, head of the Dangoor Education fund.