Karaite-Rabbanite Ketubah (Fustāt, Egypt)
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This is the formula of the Egyptian ketubba of the Karaites.
In the name of the Everlasting God. The God made him prosper (2 Chronicles 26:5).
In the Lord they will be justified (Isaiah 45:25). The Mighty God will look from His elevated heaven and will zealously defend the sanctity of His name. He will rebuild His temple and His hall and return His…
This ketubah formulary is noteworthy for its clauses that apply specifically to marriages between a Karaite woman and a Rabbanite man. He agrees to allow her to follow Karaite practices, including observing festivals according to the Karaite calendar, which followed “the sighting of the moon and the finding of the aviv in the land of Israel,” in other words, it was set by determining the beginning of the new month by observation of the new moon and the date for Passover by the state of the “aviv” (barley harvest) in Palestine. It specifies that if the husband does not permit his wife to adhere to Karaite practice, she has the right to request divorce at any time and with full payment of the mohar (bridal gift). The document attests to the marriages between these two communities despite significant differences in their religious observance.
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Who Were the Early Medieval Karaite Jews?
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Documents and Inscriptions in the Early Medieval World
Many types of documents from the early medieval world were preserved in the Cairo Geniza, or in manuscripts in libraries. They include legal contracts, bills of sale, betrothal agreements, marriage contracts, and much more.