List of Jewish Literary Forgeries
This article lists all literary forgeries that are significantly related to Judaism. The list includes cases where there is no scholarly consensus (such as The Epistle of Menachem of Hebron).
The list includes works that quote fictitious sources, such as done by Moses Botarel.[1]
Outside of scope of list
Scholarly consensus is that work is authentic
For example, the allegation that Leon of Modena’s Kol Sakhal is a 19th-century forgery, or the allegation that the 19th century apostate and censor Jacob Brafman forged documents from Minsk’s Sefer HaKahal.
Other false allegations of forgery:
- Moshe Feinstein’s claim that Yehuda HeHasid's work is a forgery.
Alterations, Interpolations, Sloppy editing
These can be the result of malicious intent, sloppiness, or both. This article does not cover this.
Censorship
Also related, but will not be covered: changes due to censorship, either by Christian censors, or self-censorship.
Hagiography
Also related, but will not be covered: hagiography, such as the shevahim literature and other highly idealized histories.[2]
False histories; inscriptions; colophons
Especially common among Karaite scholars in the 19th century.
False histories and idealized histories, such as Ramschak Chronicle by Marcus Fischer.
Forged colophons, such as those of Abraham Firkovitch.
Forged tombstone inscriptions, such as those of Mordecai Sultansky.
Plagiarism
The opposite phenomenon of plagiarism requires a separate article.
Material forgery - Art, archeological
We are only covering literary forgeries, not art forgery or archaeological forgery.
On these, Cecil Roth wrote:[3]
“In recent years with the increase in collectors of Jewish ritual art, very large numbers of forgeries in this sphere have been placed on the market, many of them very ingenious. Among the favorite methods are the appending of purportedly old inscriptions to modern objects, or the skillful adaptation of secular bricà-brac to ostensibly Jewish purposes. Forged shekels (some of them bearing modern Hebrew lettering!) have been in circulation since the Renaissance period [...]”
Included in this kind of forgery would be Torah scrolls and the numerous forged divorce documents (Get). These "gittin" are cataloged in the National Library of Israel catalog, and marked as forged.
A number of such examples are discussed by Shlomo Zucker, among them the famous sefer torah allegedly written by Nissim of Gerona, a sefer torah allegedly written by Anan ben David, Responsa of judges of Nehardea to South Italy, a Silver tablet written by Nissim of Gerona.
List of forgeries
If the forger forged more than one work, the most prominent one is mentioned.
 | This list |
Second Temple period
Middle Ages
| Title | Editor | Terminus ante quem |
Purported Author | Attackers | Defenders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| quotes of Hazal in Pugio Fidei | Raymond Martini | late 13th century | fictitious sources. no scholarly consensus. | |||
| Zohar | Moses de León | late 13th century | Shimon bar Yochai | See Zohar#Authorship | ||
| quotes of Geonic works | Moses Botarel | early 15th century | fictitious sources |
Early modern period
Late modern period
References and sources
References
- ↑ Brody, Tzipora (2007). "Rabbi Moses Botarel: His Commentary on "Sefer Yetzirah" and the Image of Abu Aharon". Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought. 20: 159–206. JSTOR 23365141.
- ↑ Rapoport-Albert, Ada (1988). "Hagiography with Footnotes: Edifying Tales and the Writing of History in Hasidism" (PDF). History and Theory. 27 (4): 119–159. doi:10.2307/2505000. JSTOR 2505000. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ↑ Roth, Cecil (1972). "Forgeries". Encyclopedia Judaica. 6: 1432.
- ↑ פלאי, משה (1980). "יצחק סאטאנוב ושאלת הזיוף בספרות" (PDF). קרית ספר. נד: 817-824. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ↑ המבורגר, בנימין (2009). "האם ניתן לסמוך על יצחק סאטאנוב?" (PDF). המעין: 86–91. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ↑ Fishman, Talya (1998). "Forging Jewish Memory: Besamim Rosh and the Invention of Pre-Emancipation Jewish Culture". Jewish History and Jewish Memory: Essays in Honor of Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi: 70–88. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
Sources
- Roth, Cecil (1972). "Forgeries". Encyclopedia Judaica. 6: 1431-1432. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- Akhiezer, Golda (2018). "Historical Research and Forgeries in the Age of Nationalism: The Case of the Russian Empire Between Jews and Russians". East European Jewish Affairs. 48 (2): 101–117. doi:10.1080/13501674.2018.1434980. Retrieved 27 March 2022. Unknown parameter
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