Jewish Communities of Medieval Solkhat according to Archaeological and Manuscript Sources: Historical and Cultural Aspects

Abstract

Research Objectives: A reconstruction of the history and cultural life of the Jewish communities in Medieval Solkhat in the context of the urban life of the multicultural and multiconfessional city of the Golden Horde. Research Materials: The article is based on the results of historical research from the 19th to the 21st centuries, as well as new archaeological excavations in Stary Krym conducted by M.G. Kramarovsky. Medieval Jewish manuscripts from Crimea are also an important source, shedding light on the history of the Jewish (Karaite and Rabbinic) communities of Solkhat. Results and Novelty of the Research: The history of the Crimean Jewish communities, especially in Medieval Solkhat, is a field that has not been thoroughly researched. Therefore, events such as the discovery by M.G. Kramarovsky of the ruins of the 13th-century synagogue, along with associated artefacts related to these communities, are important milestones in the research of the Jewish past of Solkhat and the history of the Golden Horde. The combination and juxtaposition of the new archaeological material with the existing Jewish manuscripts from Crimea, which until recently had not been systematically researched, shed light on a little-known aspect of that historical period. Such a combination of sources provided the authors with an opportunity to carry out a partial reconstruction of the cultural and social life of the Jewish communities of Solkhat and an assessment of their place in the context of the medieval urban life of this multicultural and multireligious centre of the Golden Horde.