Fragment of Talmud Yerushalmi Bikkurim Ch. 2 Halacha 1-2 from the Cairo Geniza in the University of Geneva

The collection of Cairo Geniza fragments in the University of Geneva Library (Bibliotheque Publique et Universitaire de Geneve) include about 350 documents. It was acquired for the University of Geneva, in Cairo in 1896-1897 by Professor Jules Nicole, who went to Egypt to search for Greek manuscripts. Besides the Greek manuscripts that Nicole bought, he also acquired a tin box which was full of Jewish writings. Since then this tin box was hidden in the University in Geneva Library and no one knew about its existence. Finally, in 2005 Nicole’s finding were being reviewed by the university and among the documents that he has left this tin box was rediscovered. Shortly after, Professor David Rosenthal from Hebrew University went to Geneva to investigate the findings. In the box there were many fragments of Tanach, Mishna, both Talmuds, Midrashim, works of the Rishonim and many other documents. In 2010, Professor Rosenthal published a book in Hebrew called The Cairo Geniza Collection in Geneva: Catalogue and Studies (Osef HaGeniza HaKahirit BeGeneva: Katalog UMechkarim), published by Magnes Press of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The book can be purchased directly from a few online booksellers:

The Cairo Geniza Collection in Geneva

In the book there is a short article about a fragment of Talmud Yerushalmi Bikkurim Ch. 2 Halacha 1-2. Rosenthal compares the text in this fragment to the text in the Leiden manuscript and shows why he prefers the reading of the fragment over the Leiden manuscript. I have posted the article on the Articles page.

Below are high resolution photos of both sides of the fragment.