Day 1

Day 2

This symposium is occasioned by the recent discovery of the only-known Judeo-Persian copy of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, one of the most uplifting stories of the Old Testament which has inspired explosions in the arts. Commissioned in 1600 in the Gulf city of Lār, the interdisciplinary and global crossroads of manuscript provides an important case study of global early modernity within a research agenda which includes global art history, Judeo-Persian and Judeo-Arabic studies, diplomatic and commercial relations, biblical studies, and natural philosophy of language. A two-day symposium brings prominent scholars into conversation about the significance of the global iterations and variations of the remarkable story and iconography of the Book of Tobit. On the occasion of this symposium, the manuscript BnF Hébreu 130 will travel back to the region and be exhibited at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Organized by
Mahnaz Yousefzadeh (NYU) & Laurent Hericher (BnF)

Hosted by
NYU Abu Dhabi

In collaboration with
Bibliothèque Nationale de France and Louvre Abu Dhabi