The Covenanters of Damascus; A Hitherto Unknown Jewish Sect

A mysterious Jewish community that once flourished around Damascus emerges from the shattered pages of two medieval manuscripts discovered in a Cairo synagogue’s genizah. The surviving fragments are a mix of stern warnings to insiders, polemics against rival groups, and a surprisingly orderly set of legal statutes that reveal how the sect interpreted and lived its faith. Scholars have painstakingly reconstructed the text, offering translation and commentary that illuminate the group’s distinctive halakhic outlook while acknowledging the many gaps and ambiguities left by damaged parchment.

Listeners will be guided through the sect’s self‑portrait, hearing how its leaders invoked familiar biblical narratives in coded, almost allegorical ways to justify their practices and to caution against laxity. The work also sketches the community’s organization—its hierarchies, communal duties, and the daily rhythms that set it apart from mainstream Judaism. By the end of this first act, the audience gains a vivid sense of an obscure but vibrant world that invites further exploration, even as many of its deeper mysteries remain unresolved.