Unraveling a Genizah Mystery: New Insights into Saadia Gaon's Biblical Commentary and Anti-Karaite Polemic

The Cairo Genizah continues to yield fascinating discoveries that shed light on medieval Jewish scholarship and the development of rabbinic thought.This article presents new findings regarding fragments of Saadia Gaon's commentary on Leviticus and his polemical work against the Karaites, offering a solution to a puzzling juxtaposition of texts and revealing the interconnected nature of Saadia's biblical exegesis and anti-Karaite writings.These discoveries emerge from an ongoing research project on Saadia Gaon's commentary on Leviticus, conducted in collaboration with David Sklare under the auspices of the Aleh Zayis Institute in Lakewood, led by Rabbi Shimon Szimonowitz.This collaborative effort has enabled a comprehensive analysis of Genizah fragments, leading to significant insights into Saadia's exegetical and polemical works.