Alexandra Trachsel introduces reader to palimpsests – manuscripts that have been erased and reused for a new text. Scholars are naturally interested in getting at the erased text as well as the overlaid one.
She uses as an example Taylor-Schechter Genizah Ms. 17. The overlying text consists of Hebrew liturgical poems (piyyuá¹im). The erased underlying text comes from the Passion of St Plato of Ancyra. (No relation to the philosopher Plato of Athens.)
If the paleographic dating of the underlying text to the late fifth or early sixth century is correct, this is the earliest manuscript from the Cairo Geniza that I have encountered. The oldest I knew of before was the Askhar/London fragments of Exodus, from about 700 CE.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on palimpsests, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and follow the links. For posts on the Cairo Geniza and its manuscripts, see here, here, here, here, here, and follow the many links.
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