Craig Perry

Craig Perry, an associate professor of medieval Middle Eastern and Jewish history, discusses slavery, law, and everyday life using the Cairo Geniza. He traces global slave networks and the intimate roles of enslaved people in kitchens and households. He examines legal categories, local markets and resale dynamics, manumission and integration, and how slavery shaped rituals like Passover.

Craig Perry, an associate professor who studies slavery, law, and everyday life in the medieval Middle East, guides listeners through Cairo Geniza fragments that reveal lived experiences of enslaved people. He traces domestic slavery, local resale markets, gendered ownership, manumission, and how slavery appeared at household rituals like Passover. Short stories from the Geniza bring these hidden worlds into view.