KaraimBIBLE is a research project (2019–2025) dedicated to the linguistic analysis and critical edition of Karaim Bible translations.
Karaims are the only representatives of Karaite Judaism in Europe, and their mother tongue is a highly endangered Turkic language. Before the project began, only a small portion of their written heritage had been made accessible to scholars. In particular, the Karaim translations of the Hebrew Bible—the oldest written records of the language—were still awaiting proper analysis. As a result, Karaim data could not be effectively used in historical-comparative studies, which was especially unfortunate given the archaic nature of Karaim and its importance for Turkology.
Moreover, the Karaims lacked a usable Bible edition for religious practice, as all translations survived only in handwritten Hebrew script, now unreadable for the community members. This hindered both cultural transmission and the vitality of the language, because the essence of Karaite Judaism lies in its exclusive recognition of the Hebrew Bible as the supreme source of religious law. In this project, therefore, the Karaim Bible translations are understood not only as the earliest linguistic evidence of the language, but also as a central component of Karaim cultural and religious identity.
The aim of the project was to produce digital editions of the Karaim Biblical texts, to analyse them linguistically, and to use this research to prepare an edition of the Torah in Modern Karaim. These editions have been integrated into a database created within the project.
The analysis of the biblical sources enabled us, firstly, to describe the history of the Karaim phonological system and to identify grammatical categories hitherto undocumented in the scholarly literature. The impact of various contact languages, on Karaim has also been analysed.
Textual analyses of the texts revealed similarities between sources created separately over centuries in communities located far from one another, which suggest that a common Karaim tradition of Bible translation must once have existed. Arguments were also presented to support the claim that they were based on earlier written sources or on a well-established oral translation tradition, possibly rooted in 15th-century Middle Kipchak practices. In addition, the team has identified clear connections between West Karaim and both West and East Slavonic translations of the Pentateuch, opening new avenues for future research.
The palaeographical and orthographical analysis of the scripts revealed clear regional features: those of the North- and Southwest Karaim communities are more similar to each other—though still distinguishable—than to the scripts used by Karaims and Krymchaks in Crimea.
A significant achievement of the project is the preparation of the first complete printed edition of the Torah translated into Modern Northwest Karaim. Published in 2024, it offers readers a volume that meets the highest academic standards while remaining fully suitable for religious use. It serves as a tool for cultural revitalisation and for maintaining the Karaim language.
The development and successful deployment of the Middle Turkic Database represent a major achievement of the research team. It is the first freely accessible digital tool and database dedicated not only to Karaim, but to Middle Turkic in general, marking a breakthrough in historical Turkology and in the study of the written cultures and languages of the Turkic peoples.
