Dr. Marina Rustow

Biography

Marina Rustow is a social historian specializing in the medieval Middle East, particularly through the study of underexplored sources like the documents of the Cairo Geniza. Her research focuses on Egypt and Syria from the tenth to the fifteenth century, often delving into social groups and the mechanisms of justice provided by the state. By analyzing these written documents, she explores how power dynamics and social bonds were formed and maintained in medieval societies. Rustow has explored various facets of Jewish communal life, documenting how communal identities were shaped amid the pressures of rabbinic authority. Her works include examining the complex document preservation strategies of Islamic states and their implications for understanding historical governance. She is particularly interested in economic history, historiography, and material culture and has extensively published on subjects ranging from the Fatimid Caliphate to Jewish legal status in Islamic contexts. Rustow maintains an active role in academia through teaching and directing Princeton’s Geniza Lab, fostering original research among students in medieval Middle Eastern Jewish history.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards