Dear colleagues,
I'm looking at a recently published book called "Igeret Tokhehot nehamot ve-Sefer Iyov : le-tsom Asarah ba-Av," that others of you have probably come across as well. The subtitle is what I'm wondering about. Ordinarily, regarding a liturgical work for the Black Fast, I would assign something like "Ninth of Av--Liturgy--Texts". According to the editor of this work, Ovadyah Algamil, however, Karaites observe the *Tenth* of Av, not the Ninth, following the text of Jeremiah 52:12-13:
"Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem and he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man's house, burned he with fire" [JPS translation].
Can I get away with using "NInth of Av," or should I establish a new uniform title (or subject heading) that describes the Karaite observance on its own terms?
Incidentally, while we're on the topic, is there resource anywhere on cataloging Karaitic works? I'll check the index to Judaica Librarianship, since maybe articles have been written on the subject, but please let me know if you think of something off the top of your head.
Thanks for your help.
Daniel
Daniel Lovins
Hebraica Team Leader
Catalog Department
Sterling Memorial Library
Yale University
PO Box 208240
New Haven, CT 06520
tel: 203/432-1707
fax: 203/432-7231
