The structure of Karaite gravestone inscriptions from Çufut-Qal‘eh and methodology of Hebrew Epigraphy
The structure of Karaite gravestone inscriptions from Çufut-Qal‘eh and methodology of Hebrew Epigraphy

Summary/Abstract: The study of Hebrew inscriptions from Çufut-Qal‘eh is a central topic of Hebrew epigraphy in Russia. For a long time, the central controversial question was whether Jews or Karaites could live in the Crimean castle cities, such as Çufut-Qal‘eh and Mangup, before the Tatar invasion of the 1230s. The almost two-century long study of the inscriptions included the analysis of chronological systems, naming patterns, lexical content, comparison with historical sources, archival data, statistical, topographical and architectural analysis, as well as many other approaches. Studying the structure of the inscriptions and viewing Hebrew epitaphs as a literary genre can provide additional insights on the attitudes towards life and death reflected in these inscriptions.

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