MacArthur-winning poet and translator Peter Cole and acclaimed essayist Adina Hoffman tell the story of the Cairo Geniza, the most vital cache of Jewish manuscripts ever discovered, often referred to as the “the Living Sea Scrolls.” Cole and Hoffman reveal the quiet heroism of Solomon Schechter and other scholars, sifting through mounds of forgotten paper to reveal the vibrant world of medieval Jewish life-- letters and poems, wills and marriage contracts, Bibles and trousseaux lists, money orders, fiery dissenting tracts, prescriptions, petitions, and mysterious magical charms. They will be joined in conversation by Harvard professor and renowned scholar and writer Stephen Greenblatt; he is the author of the New York Times bestseller Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare and, coming this fall, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern.