Poetic Version of the Amidah

This poetic rendition of the Amidah survived in the Cairo Geniza on folios that were written by three different scribes of varying caliber; perhaps one page was lost, or they were copied by a teacher and a student. It appears likely that the text is Palestinian in origin and has its roots in centuries-old forms that were popular in that community. It follows the skeletal outline of the Amidah that was shared by Rabbanite Jews, and it testifies to the instability of the Jewish liturgy in the medieval period. It is followed by a text for Purim (also included here), which may mean that it was part of an originally larger liturgical collection. Unbracketed ellipses indicate lacunae in the manuscript.