The article examines the evolution of Judaeo-Arabic translations, ranging from early biblical renditions to modern adaptations of European literature. Early pre-Saadian translations, written in a phonetic transcription, preceded Saʿadya Gaon’s Tafsīr (Bible translation), which adhered to ‘classical’ linguistic norms and became the authoritative translation for centuries. However, later translations introduced local dialectal features to meet the needs of diverse Jewish communities. The theoretical framework of ‘centre versus periphery’ is employed to analyse the dynamics of translation traditions, highlighting the interaction between cultural centres like Meknes, Morocco, and Constantine, Algeria, and their peripheries. By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Judaeo-Arabic translations extended to Haskala novels and French and English classics such as Robinson Crusoe, demonstrating the influence of global cultural trends. The study emphasises the dual role of these translations in preserving Jewish identity and adapting to contemporary linguistic and cultural shifts.