Encyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures Online

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Folk-Books
(2,549 words)

A folk-book is a small-sized booklet, circulated in multiple variants in either handwritten or printed form, intended for the larger segments of society, mainly in early-modern time. In Jewish culture the folk-book was widely available as Jewish men were (almost) all literate. There are multiple genres of folk-books, from biblical stories, to translations of European romances, moral instruction booklets, and books of magic and sorcery, published in all Jewish languages used by the communities.

A folk-book is a small-sized booklet, circulated in multiple variants in e…

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Yassif, Eli, “Folk-Books”, in: Encyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures Online, General Editor: Emile Schrijver. Consulted online on 23 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2772-4026_EJBO_SIM_031623>
First published online: 2023



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