Reading period access: From April 30 to May 14, access to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and the Fisher Fine Arts Library will be limited to PennCard holders and other Penn affiliates. Find more information.

Featured Work

Sepia-toned photo portrait of Isaac Leeser.

Gershwind-Bennett Isaac Leeser Digital Repository

Thanks to a start-up grant from the Gershwind-Bennett Families, we are transcribing and scanning the correspondence of 19th century Orthodox Jewish teacher, scholar, and publisher Isaac Leeser.

A line drawing showing a small sailboat crewed by four crudely drawn figures.

Zucker Holy Land Manuscript

This extensive illustrated manuscript takes us on a tour through the Holy Land, as it was known, at the end of the 17th century. It describes many sites of Biblical significance, including Damascus and the grave of Mary, and documents the geography, cartography, flora, fauna, history, economy, ethnicities, and languages of the region.

View the digitized manuscript