Guide to the Lawrence V. Berman Papers SC0361
University Archives staff
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
May 2011
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
Fax Number: (650) 723-8690
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Lawrence V. Berman papers
Identifier/Call Number: SC0361
Physical Description:
52 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): circa 1967-1988
Abstract: The materials consist
of correspondence, research files and teaching materials, and texts of the Nicomachean
Ethics that have been collected in Greek, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin. Also included is his
1959 Ph.D. thesis "Ibn Bajjah and Maimonides: A Chapter in the History of Political
Philosophy" (in Hebrew with English summary).
Physical Location: Special Collections and University
Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 48 hours in advance. For more
information on paging collections, see the department's website:
http://library.stanford.edu/spc.
Language of Material:
English , Hebrew .
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open for research use. Audio-visual materials are not available in original
format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.
Biographical / Historical
Lawrence B. Berman was the first Stanford University professor to specialize in Jewish
Studies. After earning undergraduate degrees at the College of Jewish Studies in Chicago and
the University of Chicago, he did graduate work at Brandeis University (M.A. 1954) and the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Ph.D. 1960). He joined the Stanford faculty in 1967.
Berman's particular interest was the effect of the translation of Aristotle's Nicomachean
Ethics on the transmittal of its philosophical concepts. He taught courses in both Judaism
and Islam, and at the time of his death in 1988 was developing a course on the Abrahamic
tradition, attempting to compare the Jewish tradition with Christianity and Islam.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], Lawrence V. Berman Papers (SC0361). Dept. of Special Collections
and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Scope and Contents
The materials consist of correspondence, research files and teaching materials, and texts
of the Nicomachean Ethics that have been collected in Greek, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin. Also
included is his 1959 Ph.D. thesis "Ibn Bajjah and Maimonides: A Chapter in the History of
Political Philosophy" (in Hebrew with English summary).
Conditions Governing Use
While University Archives is the owner of the physical and/or digital items, permission to
examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made
available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction
beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or
assigns.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Translations.
Philosophy
Religion.
Greek literature.
Hebrew literature.
Papers, 1989-070 Accession ARCH-1989-070
Box 1
Microfilm; copies of Nicomachean Ethics (Greek, Arabic, Latin into Hebrew),
and/or Kuzri/Judah Halevi
Box 3
Microfilm; computer tape; 1 phono tape
Box 5
Data printouts; original data
Box 8
Research notes (on cards)
Box 9
Research notes (on cards)
Box 10
Research notes (on cards)
Box 11
Research notes (in binders)
Box 12
Iben Kaspi, honor's thesis, data. David Niemer
Correspondence, subject files, and research data:
Box 27
Course work and teaching materials
Box 28
Course work and teaching materials
Box 29
Course work and teaching materials
Box 30
Course work and teaching materials
Box 31
Course work and teaching materials
Box 32
Course work and teaching materials
Box 33
Course work and teaching materials
Box 34
Course work and teaching materials
Box 35
Copy of Berman's Ph.D. thesis "Ibn Bajjah and Maimonides: A Chapter in the
History of Political Philosophy," 1959 (in Hebrew with English summary)
Addenda, 1996-095 Accession ARCH-1996-095
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Correspondence; notecards; handwritten notes; most of the box is sorted by
manuscript number and contains his notes toward collation and final collated
manuscripts
1976-1988
Box 1A
Oversized material from box 1. The majority of the box is sorted by
manuscript number and contains his notes toward collation and final collated
manuscripts
1976-1988
Language of Material: English.
Box 2
Nicomachean Ethics and Masks of Maimonides manuscript scans
1981-1988
Box 3
Manuscript research and collations sorted by manuscript; some correspondence
and research files
1988
Box 3A
Oversized material from box 3. Manuscript research and collations sorted by
manuscript; some correspondence and research files; also contains Kuzari
materials
1988
Language of Material: English.
Box 4
Kuzari research notes and manuscripts; includes article drafts with
revisions
1987-1989
Box 5
Kuzari concordance materials
Addenda, 2021-126 ARCH-2021-126
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Ibn Bajjah and Maimonides - A Chapter in the History of Political Philosophy
(Dissertation)
1959
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Personal materials, 1959
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Hebrew translation of Nichomachean Ethics
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Hebrew translation of Nichomachean Ethics (Latin)
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Dissertation notes
1957
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Research files in Hebrew and Arabic
Language of Material: English.
Box 1
Research files in Arabic
Language of Material: English.
carton 2
Nicomachean Ethics bibliography on note cards
Language of Material: English.
carton 2
Rolled material
Language of Material: English.
carton 2
Miscellaneous research microfilm
Language of Material: English.
Addenda, 2022-004 ARCH-2022-004
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This accession contains Lawrence Berman's research materials, most of which are books
with his notes in the margins.
carton 1
Publication in Hebrew
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Notable Accessions, Bodleian Library (Oxford)
1945-1957
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Judaism: Postbiblical and Talmudic Period (edited by Salo W. Baron and Joseph
L. Blau)
1954
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
The Interpretation of Cultures (selected essays by Clifford
Geertz)
1973
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Islam: Muhammad and His Religion (edited by Arthur Jeffery)
1975
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Tormented Master: A Life of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav (by Arthur
Green)
1979
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
The Philosophic Questions and Answers of Hoter Ben Shelomo
1981
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Medieval Political Philosophy (edited by Ralph Lerner and Muhsin
Mahdi)
1963
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Averroes' Three Short Commentaries on Aristotle's "Topics," "Rhetoric," and
"Poetics" (edited and translated by Charles E. Butterworth)
1977
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Three Jewish Philosophers: Philo, Saadua Gaon, Jehuda Halevi (edited by Hans
Lewy, Alexander Altmann, Isaak Heinemann)
1960
Language of Material: English.
carton 1
Publication in Hebrew
Language of Material: English.
Box 2
Research notecards in Hebrew
Language of Material: English.
Addenda, 2024-585 Accession ARCH-2024-585
Box 1
Maimonides untranslated scans; Hebraic Manuscripts MS MICH 227, OV-4-10, ENMC
3-10, RV-1, RV-2, Turin 5-10 scans annotated by Berman; Berman book manuscripts;
Berman article publications; Macintosh manuals
1961-1975, 1987-1988
Box 2
Hebrew Ethics Project (HEP) publications, project records, correspondence,
computer system management materials; ENMC research materials; Passage and thematic
index cards
1973-1977
Box 3
Hebraic Manuscripts IK 2-10 MSS, ENMC 1-2 passages and annotations; Berman
manuscript drafts and working copies
1972, 1985
