Periodic Reporting for period 5 - KaraimBible ((Re)constructing a Bible. A new approach to unedited Biblical manuscripts as sources for the early history of the Karaim language)
Período documentado: 2025-02-01 hasta 2025-09-30
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.
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.
For the database, a uniform transcription has been developed that is suitable for the linguistic description of all Middle Turkic languages that have been attested in the past using different scripts.
The transcription and linguistic commentary has been completed for 12 manuscripts, and for the entire Torah of the Eupatorian print of 1841. This amounts to a total of 2614 folios (5228 pages) of transcribed texts. Work on the lexicographical database focused on creating a repository of lexemes not previously recorded in dictionaries and on studies on specialised vocabulary and loanwords used in Karaim Bible translations. The manuscript ADub.III.73 has received an English translation to facilitate future analyses.
The first complete printed edition of the Torah in Modern Karaim was based on the oldest known translation, owing to its exceptional cultural value and importance for cultural preservation efforts. The edition was created in close collaboration with the last native speakers of the language, in accordance with current methodological standards, which emphasise the active involvement of speakers of endangered languages not only as research subjects but as full participants in the research process.
One of the major achievements of the project is the design, development, and implementation of the Middle Turkic Database. The database was developed through close collaboration between linguists and information technology experts.
The project produced 3 monographs, 23 articles, 11 digital editions of manuscripts, and 45 talks at conferences and various institutions. One conference and one workshop have been organized. Additionally, a panel has been organized at a convention on Turkic Studies in Vienna.
The transcription and linguistic commentary has been completed for 12 manuscripts, and for the entire Torah of the Eupatorian print of 1841. This amounts to a total of 2614 folios (5228 pages) of transcribed texts. Work on the lexicographical database focused on creating a repository of lexemes not previously recorded in dictionaries and on studies on specialised vocabulary and loanwords used in Karaim Bible translations. The manuscript ADub.III.73 has received an English translation to facilitate future analyses.
The first complete printed edition of the Torah in Modern Karaim was based on the oldest known translation, owing to its exceptional cultural value and importance for cultural preservation efforts. The edition was created in close collaboration with the last native speakers of the language, in accordance with current methodological standards, which emphasise the active involvement of speakers of endangered languages not only as research subjects but as full participants in the research process.
One of the major achievements of the project is the design, development, and implementation of the Middle Turkic Database. The database was developed through close collaboration between linguists and information technology experts.
The project produced 3 monographs, 23 articles, 11 digital editions of manuscripts, and 45 talks at conferences and various institutions. One conference and one workshop have been organized. Additionally, a panel has been organized at a convention on Turkic Studies in Vienna.
The project contributed in many ways to the state of the art and significantly expanded our initial body of knowledge:
Before the project’s findings were published, some scholars believed that no unified Karaim tradition of Bible translation had existed. Today we can state that textual similarities between sources produced independently clearly indicate a shared Karaim translation tradition.
Another breakthrough was the linguistic analysis of a 15th-century Turkic text written in Hebrew script in the Crimea. Before the project, no consensus existed regarding the language in which it was written. The analysis demonstrated that the source is written not in Khwarezmian Turkic, Chagatay Karaim or Karaim, but in Middle Kipchak.
Before this project, Karaim was often described as an exceptional Kipchak Turkic language lacking certain grammatical constructions otherwise widespread across Turkic. The project’s findings revealed that several of these categories did in fact exist in Karaim and disappeared from the grammatical system only at a later stage.
The research team discovered previously unknown sources, allowing us to confirm that the Karaims translated the entire Hebrew Bible—and did so in three dialects. First posed in 1936, this question has now been conclusively answered only through this project. The newly identified materials required costly and time-consuming professional conservation, during which several unique manuscripts were saved from gradual deterioration.
An achievement not foreseen at the proposal stage, was the creation of audio recordings of the last speakers of Karaim and the conducting of in-depth sociolinguistic interviews. These activities were necessary to identify suitable collaborators for the preparation of an edition of the Torah in Modern Northwest Karaim.
Finally, the Middle Turkic Database developed in the framework of the project is the first freely accessible digital tool and database dedicated to Middle Turkic, marking a breakthrough in historical Turkology and in the study of the written cultures and languages of the Turkic peoples.
Before the project’s findings were published, some scholars believed that no unified Karaim tradition of Bible translation had existed. Today we can state that textual similarities between sources produced independently clearly indicate a shared Karaim translation tradition.
Another breakthrough was the linguistic analysis of a 15th-century Turkic text written in Hebrew script in the Crimea. Before the project, no consensus existed regarding the language in which it was written. The analysis demonstrated that the source is written not in Khwarezmian Turkic, Chagatay Karaim or Karaim, but in Middle Kipchak.
Before this project, Karaim was often described as an exceptional Kipchak Turkic language lacking certain grammatical constructions otherwise widespread across Turkic. The project’s findings revealed that several of these categories did in fact exist in Karaim and disappeared from the grammatical system only at a later stage.
The research team discovered previously unknown sources, allowing us to confirm that the Karaims translated the entire Hebrew Bible—and did so in three dialects. First posed in 1936, this question has now been conclusively answered only through this project. The newly identified materials required costly and time-consuming professional conservation, during which several unique manuscripts were saved from gradual deterioration.
An achievement not foreseen at the proposal stage, was the creation of audio recordings of the last speakers of Karaim and the conducting of in-depth sociolinguistic interviews. These activities were necessary to identify suitable collaborators for the preparation of an edition of the Torah in Modern Northwest Karaim.
Finally, the Middle Turkic Database developed in the framework of the project is the first freely accessible digital tool and database dedicated to Middle Turkic, marking a breakthrough in historical Turkology and in the study of the written cultures and languages of the Turkic peoples.