Appendix F: Key Scholars, Institutions, and Projects in Recovery and Preservation

This chapter is part of the book The Sacred Editors: Lost Texts.

A curated guide to the individuals and organizations shaping how sacred texts are preserved, recovered, and understood today

Note for Readers: This appendix highlights leading voices in textual preservation while acknowledging that countless community stewards, elder knowledge holders, and grassroots preservationists—often unnamed in academic literature—form the backbone of sacred text survival. Contact information and engagement opportunities are provided where publicly available.

I. Leading Scholars of Textual Recovery and Preservation

Buddhism and Asian Religions

Jan Nattier (Indiana University)

Expertise: Buddhist textual transmission across Central and East Asia; how Chinese translations preserved lost Indian originals
Key Works: A Few Good Men (1991); Once Upon a Future Time (1991)
Engagement: Frequent conference speaker; mentors graduate students in Buddhist studies

Stephanie Jamison (UCLA)

Expertise: Vedic Sanskrit, early Indian religious literature, women's roles in ancient texts
Key Works: Co-translator of The Rigveda (2014); studies of gender in early Indian religion
Engagement: Active in American Oriental Society; supports graduate student research

Adelheid Mette (University of Münster, Germany)

Expertise: Gandhari manuscripts, early Buddhist texts, Central Asian manuscript cultures
Key Works: Fundamental work on Gandhari language and early Buddhist transmission
Engagement: Collaborates with international Buddhist manuscript projects

Cristina Scherrer-Schaub (University of Lausanne, Switzerland)

Expertise: Tibetan Buddhism, manuscript traditions, Indo-Tibetan intellectual history
Key Works: Studies of Tibetan philosophical texts and preservation traditions
Engagement: Mentors next generation of Tibetan studies scholars

Judaism and Jewish Texts

Emanuel Tov (Hebrew University, emeritus)

Expertise: Chief editor of Dead Sea Scrolls publication project; Hebrew Bible textual criticism
Key Works: Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible (3rd ed., 2012)
Engagement: Continues to mentor international scroll scholarship

Marina Rustow (Princeton University)

Expertise: Jewish communities under Islam; Cairo Genizah studies; medieval documentary history
Key Works: The Lost Archive (2020); pioneering digital humanities approaches to Genizah materials
How to Engage: Princeton Genizah Lab offers internships; partners with Scribes of the Cairo Genizah crowdsourcing project

Annette Yoshiko Reed (New York University)

Expertise: Second Temple Jewish texts, apocrypha, early Jewish-Christian interactions
Key Works: Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity (2005)
Engagement: Active in Society of Biblical Literature; supports junior scholar development

Laura Lieber (Duke University)

Expertise: Hebrew poetry, Jewish liturgy, late antique Judaism
Key Works: Studies of piyyut (liturgical poetry) and Jewish worship traditions
How to Engage: Duke-based projects often seek research assistants; active on social media sharing preservation resources

Steven Fraade (Yale University)

Expertise: Rabbinic literature, Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish textual interpretation
Key Works: Studies of how early Jewish communities preserved and interpreted texts
Engagement: Yale's Judaica digitization projects welcome scholarly collaboration

Christianity and Early Christian Texts

Bart D. Ehrman (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

Expertise: Early Christian textual variants, non-canonical gospels, textual criticism
Key Works: Misquoting Jesus (2005); Lost Scriptures (2003)
How to Engage: Frequent public lectures; active blog and online course offerings; mentors graduate students

Karen L. King (Harvard Divinity School, emerita)

Expertise: Gnostic Christianity, women in early Christianity, Gospel of Mary
Key Works: The Gospel of Mary of Magdala (2003); studies of early Christian diversity
Engagement: Advocate for inclusive scholarship; supports women scholars in religious studies

AnneMarie Luijendijk (Princeton University)

Expertise: Early Christian papyri, Coptic Christianity, women's religious practices
Key Works: Greetings in the Lord (2008); studies of ordinary Christian life in antiquity
How to Engage: Princeton's papyrology programs offer training opportunities

Elaine Pagels (Princeton University, emerita)

Expertise: Gnostic Gospels, early Christian communities, religious experience
Key Works: The Gnostic Gospels (1979); Beyond Belief (2003)
Engagement: Continues public speaking and writing; advocates for broader understanding of early Christianity

Candida Moss (University of Birmingham, UK)

Expertise: Early Christian martyrdom, gender in early Christianity, biblical reception
Key Works: Ancient Christian Martyrdom (2012); public scholarship on biblical issues
How to Engage: Active on Twitter and in public media; supports public biblical literacy

Islam and Islamic Studies

Seyyed Hossein Nasr (George Washington University, emeritus)

Expertise: Islamic philosophy, Qur'anic studies, traditional Islamic scholarship
Key Works: Islamic Science (1976); advocate for integrating tradition and modernity in preservation
Engagement: International lecturer; supports Islamic studies programs globally

Devin Stewart (Emory University)

Expertise: Qur'anic studies, Arabic literature, Islamic legal texts
Key Works: Studies of Qur'anic coherence and Islamic textual traditions
How to Engage: Emory's Middle Eastern studies program offers research opportunities

Asma Afsaruddin (Indiana University)

Expertise: Qur'anic hermeneutics, Islamic intellectual history, women in Islam
Key Works: The First Muslims (2008); studies of early Islamic community formation
Engagement: Active in Middle East Studies Association; supports women in Islamic studies

Michael Sells (Haverford College)

Expertise: Qur'anic recitation, mystical poetry, comparative religious literature
Key Works: Approaching the Qur'an (1999); work on oral transmission and translation politics
How to Engage: Haverford's religion program; frequent conference presentations on oral traditions

Behnam Sadeghi (Stanford University)

Expertise: Early Qur'anic manuscripts, Islamic codicology, Ṣanʿāʾ manuscript studies
Key Works: Groundbreaking studies of early Qur'anic textual transmission
Engagement: Stanford workshops on Islamic manuscript studies

Comparative and Digital Humanities Approaches

Sheldon Pollock (Columbia University)

Expertise: Sanskrit philology, Indian literary cultures, digital humanities for classical texts
Key Works: The Language of the Gods in the World of Men (2006)
How to Engage: Columbia's South Asian studies programs; SARIT (Search and Retrieval of Indic Texts) project

Michelle Caswell (UCLA)

Expertise: Archival studies, community archives, social justice in preservation
Key Works: Urgent Archives (2021); pioneering work on community-controlled preservation
How to Engage: UCLA's archival studies program; advocates for ethical digitization practices

Tara Andrews (University of Vienna)

Expertise: Digital philology, computational approaches to manuscript traditions
Key Works: Digital stemmatology, computational analysis of textual transmission
How to Engage: Vienna's digital humanities initiatives; international workshops on digital philology

Caroline Schroeder (University of the Pacific)

Expertise: Coptic studies, digital humanities, early monasticism
Key Works: Digital projects on Coptic literature and monastic traditions
How to Engage: Coptic SCRIPTORIUM project welcomes international collaboration

II. Regional and Indigenous Knowledge Stewards

African Heritage Preservation

Abdel Kader Haidara (Ahmed Baba Institute, Timbuktu)

Role: Led evacuation of Timbuktu manuscripts during 2012-2013 crisis
Impact: Saved hundreds of thousands of Islamic manuscripts from destruction
Legacy: Continues advocacy for African manuscript preservation

Dr. Hanna Hedström (Akademie der Wissenschaften, Germany)

Expertise: Ethiopian manuscript traditions, Gǝʿǝz literature, African Christianity
Key Works: Studies of Ethiopian Orthodox textual traditions
How to Engage: Partners with Ethiopian monastery digitization projects

Shamil Jeppie (University of Cape Town)

Expertise: African Islamic history, manuscript traditions in sub-Saharan Africa
Key Works: Studies of Islamic learning traditions in Africa
Engagement: University of Cape Town's African studies programs

Indigenous and Community-Led Preservation

Taiaiaké Alfred (University of Victoria)

Expertise: Indigenous knowledge systems, traditional governance, cultural preservation
Key Works: Peace, Power, Righteousness (1999); advocacy for indigenous intellectual sovereignty
How to Engage: Indigenous governance programs; supports community-controlled research

María Elena García (University of Washington)

Expertise: Indigenous Latin American languages, community-based language preservation
Key Works: Studies of Quechua and other Andean language traditions
How to Engage: University of Washington's indigenous studies programs

Jessica Cattelino (UCLA)

Expertise: Native American cultural preservation, indigenous media and technology
Key Works: Studies of how indigenous communities use technology for cultural preservation
How to Engage: UCLA's American Indian studies programs

Women Scholars in Preservation Studies

Heather McMahon (Independent Scholar)

Expertise: Women's roles in manuscript preservation, gendered aspects of textual transmission
Key Works: Studies of women scribes and preservation networks
Engagement: Conference presentations on women in manuscript cultures

Farina Mir (University of Michigan)

Expertise: South Asian Islamic traditions, women's religious practices, Punjabi literature
Key Works: The Social Space of Language (2010); studies of women's literary traditions
How to Engage: University of Michigan's South Asian studies programs

Rebecca Gould (University of Birmingham, UK)

Expertise: Persian and Arabic literature, Caucasian manuscript traditions
Key Works: Studies of Persian literary manuscripts and their preservation
How to Engage: Birmingham's Islamic studies programs; active in manuscript studies networks

III. Major Preservation Institutions

Global Digital Archives and Libraries

British Library (London, UK)

Key Programs: Endangered Archives Programme, Islamic manuscripts digitization
Collection Highlights: Largest collection of manuscripts outside national boundaries
How to Engage: Volunteer opportunities through Transcribe Bentham and other crowdsourcing projects; research fellowships available
Website: bl.uk/endangered-archives-programme

Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris, France)

Key Programs: Gallica digital library, medieval manuscript digitization
Collection Highlights: Major repository of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian manuscripts
How to Engage: Gallica volunteer transcription projects; research access for scholars

Library of Congress (Washington, DC, USA)

Key Programs: World Digital Library partnership, American Folklife Center
Collection Highlights: Global scope including religious and cultural materials
How to Engage: Citizen archivist projects; volunteer opportunities for transcription and metadata

Vatican Library (Vatican City)

Key Programs: Digitization of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts
Collection Highlights: Unparalleled collection of Christian manuscripts and texts
How to Engage: Scholar access programs; partnerships with international universities

Specialized Religious Archives

St. Catherine's Monastery (Sinai, Egypt)

Significance: Oldest working Christian monastery; manuscripts dating to 4th century
Key Projects: Sinai Palimpsests Project, digital preservation initiatives
Collection Highlights: Multilingual manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Syriac, Georgian
How to Engage: International scholarly partnerships; digital humanities collaborations

Israel Antiquities Authority / Shrine of the Book (Jerusalem, Israel)

Key Holdings: Dead Sea Scrolls, Second Temple period artifacts
Key Projects: Multispectral imaging, digital scroll publication
How to Engage: International Dead Sea Scrolls collaborations; Leon Levy Digital Library

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (Dharamshala, India)

Role: Primary repository for Tibetan Buddhist texts in exile
Key Projects: Digitization of rare manuscripts, translation programs
How to Engage: Volunteer programs for Western visitors; support through Tibet Fund
Website: ltwa.net

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Archives (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Significance: Preserves unique African Christian textual traditions
Key Projects: Partnership with Hill Museum & Manuscript Library for digitization
How to Engage: Support through Ethiopian Heritage Fund; academic partnerships

Academic and Research Institutions

Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) (Collegeville, Minnesota, USA)

Mission: Digitizes manuscripts in conflict zones and at-risk locations
Key Projects: Malta Study Center, Saint John's Bible illumination
Global Reach: Active in Middle East, Africa, and Asia
How to Engage: Internship programs; volunteer opportunities for cataloging and metadata
Website: hmml.org

Princeton University Library (Princeton, New Jersey, USA)

Specialized Collections: Garrett Collection of Arabic manuscripts, Papyrus Collection
Key Projects: Princeton Genizah Lab, digital humanities initiatives
How to Engage: Graduate fellowships; undergraduate research opportunities; public programs

University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK)

Key Projects: Cairo Genizah digitization, Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit
Collection Highlights: Largest collection of medieval Jewish documents
How to Engage: Scribes of the Cairo Genizah volunteer transcription project
Website: genizah.lib.cam.ac.uk

École Biblique et Archéologique Française (Jerusalem)

Specialization: Biblical archaeology, ancient Near Eastern texts
Key Projects: Advanced imaging of ancient texts, archaeological documentation
How to Engage: International research collaboration; biblical archaeology programs

IV. Community-Led and Grassroots Projects

Interfaith and Collaborative Initiatives

Scribes of the Cairo Genizah (University of Cambridge)

Model: Crowdsourced transcription of medieval Jewish documents
Impact: Thousands of volunteers worldwide contribute to manuscript transcription
How to Engage: Free online platform; training provided; no prior experience required
Website: scribes.lib.cam.ac.uk

Digital Himalaya Project (Yale University / University of Cambridge)

Focus: Oral and written traditions of Himalayan communities
Approach: Community-collaborative documentation and preservation
How to Engage: Support community documentation projects; volunteer for digitization
Website: digitalhimalaya.com

Rosetta Project (Long Now Foundation, San Francisco)

Mission: Long-term preservation of human languages including sacred texts
Technology: Micro-etched disks, experimental storage media
How to Engage: Language documentation contributions; support through Long Now Foundation
Website: rosettaproject.org

Religious Community Initiatives

Jain eLibrary (Global collaborative project)

Model: Volunteer-run platform for Jain scripture digitization
Scope: Ancient manuscripts, modern commentaries, multilingual resources
How to Engage: Volunteer for scanning, transcription, or translation; community donations
Impact: Thousands of Jain texts made freely accessible worldwide

SikhiWiki and Related Projects (Global Sikh community)

Approach: Community-driven documentation of Sikh textual heritage
Technology: Wiki-based collaboration, multimedia integration
How to Engage: Contribute articles, translations, or digital resources; local gurdwara partnerships

Sefaria (Global Jewish community)

Model: Open-source library of Jewish texts with community translation
Technology: Interconnected digital library with sophisticated linking
How to Engage: Volunteer for translation, proofreading, or sheet creation; educator resources
Website: sefaria.org

Muslim Heritage (Various international organizations)

Projects: Islamic manuscript digitization, community archive development
Approach: Combines academic scholarship with community involvement
How to Engage: Local Islamic centers often coordinate preservation projects

Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge Projects

Aboriginal Songline Documentation (Various Australian communities)

Approach: GPS technology combined with elder-guided oral geography
Ethical Framework: Community-controlled research and access
How to Engage: Support through Native Title organizations; respect community protocols

Native American Language Preservation (Tribal communities across Americas)

Organizations: Indigenous Language Institute, First Nations Technology Council
Approach: Community-led documentation with appropriate technology
How to Engage: Support tribal language programs; volunteer technical assistance where welcomed

Arctic Council Traditional Knowledge Programs (Circumpolar Indigenous communities)

Focus: Preserving Indigenous knowledge systems including spiritual traditions
Approach: Indigenous-led research with international cooperation
How to Engage: Support through Indigenous rights organizations

V. Emerging Digital Platforms and Technologies

Blockchain and Distributed Preservation

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) Projects

Application: Distributed storage for religious texts and cultural materials
Current Users: Tibetan Buddhist Digital Resource Center, various Islamic archives
How to Engage: Technical volunteers needed for implementation and maintenance

Arweave and Permanent Web Projects

Focus: Long-term decentralized storage of cultural heritage
Religious Applications: Experimental use for sacred text preservation
How to Engage: Support through blockchain and digital preservation communities

AI and Machine Learning Applications

Transkribus (READ Cooperative, Europe)

Technology: AI-powered transcription of historical handwriting
Religious Applications: Medieval manuscripts, administrative records, personal documents
How to Engage: Free platform for community groups; training workshops available
Website: transkribus.eu

OCR for Indigenous Languages (Various university partnerships)

Challenge: Developing character recognition for underrepresented scripts
Progress: Growing number of tools for Native American, African, and Asian languages
How to Engage: Computer science students can contribute; linguistic communities can provide training data

Virtual and Augmented Reality Preservation

Virtual Monastery Projects (Various institutions)

Goal: Immersive preservation of religious spaces and associated texts
Technology: 3D scanning, VR experiences, spatial audio
How to Engage: Support technology development; contribute to content creation

Augmented Reality Sacred Site Documentation

Applications: Overlaying historical texts onto physical locations
Examples: Temple inscriptions, pilgrimage route documentation
How to Engage: Support through cultural heritage technology organizations

How to Get Involved: Practical Next Steps

For General Readers:

Choose a crowdsourcing project from the list above and volunteer 30 minutes per week
Support preservation organizations through donations or advocacy
Document your own family's religious materials before they're lost
Advocate for library and archive funding in your community

For Students and Early Career Scholars:

Apply for internships at HMML, Princeton Genizah Lab, or other preservation institutions
Learn digital humanities skills through online courses and workshops
Attend conferences like Digital Humanities, International Association of Digital Libraries
Develop language skills in understudied traditions

For Technical Professionals:

Volunteer IT expertise for community preservation projects
Contribute to open-source preservation tools like Transkribus, Omeka
Support blockchain and distributed storage experiments
Develop OCR tools for underrepresented languages and scripts

For Religious Communities:

Start small preservation projects using Appendix D as a guide
Partner with nearby universities for technical assistance and student research
Apply for preservation grants from the organizations listed in Appendix E
Network with other communities facing similar preservation challenges

Remember: The future of sacred text preservation depends not only on major institutions and renowned scholars, but on thousands of individuals who choose to contribute their time, skills, and passion to keeping these traditions alive. Every transcribed page, every donated dollar, every preserved story contributes to humanity's shared spiritual heritage.