Introduction to the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures (EJBC). The EJBC is conceived as an encyclopedia on book cultures, not on book contents, and places the book with its textuality and materiality in the center of investigation. This first volume introduces the reader to the current state of research in the field of Jewish Book History.

This is the first of a total of four volumes that will make up the Encyclopedia of Jewish Book Cultures (EJBC). The editorial board became convinced very soon in the process of preparing this major reference work th…