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TheLieberman Institute's Sol and Evelyn Henkind Talmud Text Databank has been launched on the internet! http://www.lieberman-institute.com/

During the last 27 years theSeminary's Lieberman Institute has produced a digitized text version of allprimary witnesses to the Babylonian Talmud: first printed editions, full andfragmentary manuscripts (more than half of the known genizah fragments of theTalmud, and a large number of European binding fragments have been input).Through a long series of operations from assembling photographs, decipheringand transcribing the text, and proofreading to building a database capable ofefficient and sophisticated searches, the Institute produced a first edition ofthe Talmud manuscript corpus, which has been distributed over the last severalyears by CD ROM.Today we mark a new era by launching this powerful tool as a website.

At the same time the website updatesof the last database by including transcriptions of hundreds of additionalgenizah fragments. Furthermore, the website now enables updating on acontinuous basis, as our work progresses. In addition to transcribed text, thewebsite, like the CD, contains hundreds of manuscript images, including all JTSgenizah Talmud fragments, and European binding fragments.

This resource can open a new era ofTalmud study, by facilitating access to the precision and variegated traditionof the received text before the invention of printing. The added power of thesearch engine allows the student and scholar to perform tasks previouslyimpossible even over an entire lifetime.

Establishing this internet site hasbeen made possible through the cooperation of CDI Systems. The database isdistributed by subscription to individuals and institutions, an arrangementwhich will allow tens of thousands to use the site via subscriptions held bythe institutions with which they are affiliated. Such subscriptions haverecently been acquired by universities and libraries in Israel and the USA which will incorporate theLieberman Institute site in their list of research sites serving eachinstitution's community. The Lieberman Institute's share of revenues from thesesubscriptions will, hopefully, finally enable our work to proceed in anuninterrupted fashion without dependence on contributions, a welcomedopportunity to complete transcription and third proofreading where required,and introduce some long-planned improvements.

Please advise your institution ofhigher education of the importance of our database, and ask the responsibleofficer to acquire a subscription. Encourage others – colleagues, students andfriends – to do the same. This willenhance the study of the Talmudic corpus, allow the Institute to forward itswork, and benefit all involved. Individuals can also receive a freeintroductory period of use.

For information regardinginstitutional subscriptions and trial periods for individuals please contactYael Porath yael@cdisys.com

Thedatabank's previous version (#5 on disc) still can be ordered through this site. This version of the databank contains c. 250 manuscript and first editionsunits and more than 750 Geniza fragments from the Seminary Library, Oxford, andCambridge. Added in this version are more than 1,700 digital photographs ofMishnah and Talmud fragments from the Adler Geniza collection in New York (JTS)and early European fragments from libraries and archives in Italy, discoveredand restored thanks to the indefatigable work of Prof. Mauro Perani.

The cost of a subscription to the databank is $750, including subsequentupdates of the text database. for a small handling charge. The new module isincluded free as a limited introductory offer.

Purchasers of single non-subscription copies of the 2002 version who wish toupgrade to subscriptions will receive a $200 credit toward the subscriptionprice and must add $550.

Copies of the basic 2002 version of the databank can still be purchased for$200 on a non-subscription basis. This version contains almost all of thecomplete textual witnesses and provides ample information on the manuscripttext of the Talmud before printing. Purchasers may upgrade to subscriptions atany time for $550.

The Index of References Dealing with Talmudic Literature providesbibliographical references to discussions on rabbinic literature and relatedfields and has been updated to include close to 1000 works. These workscomprise modern Talmud scholarship and related fields, parallel referenceswithin the Talmudic-Midrashic literature and medieval Talmudic commentaries.The bibliography of Talmud scholarship and related fields spans variousdisciplines including but not limited to: ancient history, women in the Talmud,the relationship of Qumran texts to Talmudic literature and more. The databasealso includes classics of Talmud scholarship such as Saul Lieberman's Toseftaki-feshuta and Y.N. Epstein's Mavo le-Nusach ha-Mishna. This update includes aninput function for authors to add the passage indexes to rabbinic literaturefrom their works. A benefit to all of scholarship, this function will allow fornew works to be available on an ongoing basis. Any book with a passage index torabbinic literature will be readily available to subscribers of the Index. Thedatabase is distributed on CD ROM.

The cost of a subscription to the Index is $250, including the right toreceive all subsequent updates for a small handling charge.

Copies of the current version of the Index for $150 on a non-subscriptionbasis. Purchasers who wish to purchase subscriptions in the future will receivea $150 credit toward the subscription price.