The librarian and scholar explores how Jewish and Muslim mystics interpreted the same alphabets through distinct cosmological traditions.

Islamic Letterism is a tradition of Arabic numerology in which numerical values are assigned to the Arabic alphabet to interpret the Quran and uncover hidden meanings, much like Hebrew gematria, which also uses numerical values of words or phrases to reveal deeper insights or concealed messages. Guy Burak, Librarian for Middle Eastern, Islamic, and Jewish Studies at NYU, examines two pages from a 15th-century Jewish mystical manuscript that explores the talismanic properties of various alphabets. Unlike Islamic texts, which link these scripts to Arabic letters, it uniquely maps them onto Hebrew letters. Burak will explore the manuscript’s revelations and the overlapping yet distinct intellectual traditions it reflects.

The talk will begin with brief presentations by Hiba Abid, the Library's Curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and Lyudmila Sholokhova, Curator of the Dorot Jewish Collection. A collection display featuring an excerpt from the manuscript will be on view. 

To join | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 1:30 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Guy Burak is the Librarian for Middle Eastern, Islamic, Jewish and African Studies at NYU's Elmer Holmes Bobst Library. He has written extensively on the intellectual and artistic histories of the Islamic world in the post-Mongol period. Most recently, with Said Aljoumani and Konrad Hirschler, he edited The Library of Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar: Book Culture in Late Ottoman Palestine (Brill, 2025).

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ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

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Courtesy Guy Burak