GÉNIZĀH. - A Hebrew term from gānaz, of Persian origin, meaning: “(repository of) treasure,” “storehouse.” Sacred scrolls of the Pentateuch, individual pages of the Bible and prayer books, and worn-out sacred furnishings were deposited there; objects which in time were buried in cemeteries.
Originally g. denoted the act of burying the aforesaid objects, as well as the writings of heretics. According to Talmudic reports, the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Ezekiel ran the risk of being placed in g. A worn-out scroll of the Tōrāh was sometimes buried in an earthenware jar together with the body of a scholar.
The g. of al-Fusṭāf near Cairo acquired considerable importance because of the well-preserved historical material it contained. Among other precious documents, the Hebrew text of Sirach (v. ECCLESIASTICO) and texts concerning the Damascus sect were found there.