British Library: Illuminated Hebrew Manuscripts

"This is Noah in the ark..."

British Library: Illuminated Hebrew Manuscripts

The majority of these splendid medieval Hebrew manuscripts were created in Europe (in such countries as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal) before 1500. Also included in the project are twelve medieval manuscripts originating from Islamic lands, such as Iraq and Yemen, as well as two 18th century finely illustrated Passover liturgies.

Miniature of Noah's Ark with the raven seated on the ark
and the dove returning with a sprig of olive in its beak.
The Northern French Miscellany
France, 1277-14th century
BL, Add 11639, f. 521

Full-page miniature of the Menorah, surrounded by foliate scrolls inhabited by hybrids,
at the end of the Pentateuch, from a Bible with masorah and parva.
Italy (Rome?), first half of the 13th century
BL, Harley 5710, f. 136

Decorated initial-word panel with a marginal illumination of a man lighting the Hanukkah lamp, from the Decisions of Isaiah of Trani the Younger (Pisqei Rabbi Yesha'yah Aharon), Perugia, Italy, 1374
BL, Oriental 5024, f. 19

Illuminated Hebrew Manuscripts Online

Add 9405
Biblical readings from a festival prayer book (mahzor): Germany, 1309

Add 9406
Biblical readings from a festival prayer book (mahzor): Germany, 1309

Add 10456
Festival prayer book (mahzor), Ashkenazi rite: Germany or Eastern Mediterranean, 1349

Add 11639
Miscellany of biblical and other texts ('The Northern French Miscellany'): France, 1277–14th century

Add 11657
Former and Latter Prophets (Neviim): Italy, 14th century

Add 11830
Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Ashkenazi rite: Germany, before 1384

Add 14759
Levi ben Gershon, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Avignon, 1429

Add 14761
Haggadah, liturgical poems and biblical readings for Passover ('Barcelona Haggadah'), Sephardic rite: Barcelona, c. 1340

Add 14762
Eleazar of Worms, Haggadah for Passover ('Ashkenazi Haggadah'), German rite: Ulm?, c. 1460

Add 14763
Maimonides and others, Miscellany of philosophical works: Viterbo, 1273

Add 15250
Bible ('Duke of Sussex's Catalan Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century

Add 15251
Bible ('Duke of Sussex's Italian Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Ferrara?, 1448 or 1498

Add 15252
Duke of Sussex Bible with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century

Add 15282
Pentateuch ('Duke of Sussex's German Pentateuch'): Germany, 14th century

Add 15283
Pentateuch, Haftarot and the Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot): Lisbon, 15th century

Add 15306
Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Spain, 14th or 15th century

Add 15423
Pentateuch ('Duke of Sussex's Italian Pentateuch'): Florence, 1441-1467

Add 16577
Festival prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 15th century

Add 16916
Prayers for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi rite ('London Days of Awe Mahzor'): Germany, 13th or 14th century

Add 17745
Zohar on Genesis: Italy, 15th century

Add 18424
Works of Rabbi Samson ben Tzadoq and others: Germany, 1307

Add 18684
Works of Isaac of Corbeil and others: France, 1392

Add 18724
Isaac Abravanel, Haggadah for Passover: Hamburg, 1740

Add 18731
Nahmanides, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Isola, 1491

Add 18970
Hebrew Grammar: Spain, 15th century

Add 19064
Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite: Italy, 15th century

Add 19776
Pentateuch ('Coburg Pentateuch') with the Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot), Haftarot, and grammatical treatises: Coburg, 1390-1396

Add 19943
Nathan ben Joel Palquera, Tzorei ha-guf (The balms of the body): Italy, 1447

Add 19944
Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite, vol. 1: Florence, 1441

Add 19945
Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite, vol. 2: Florence, 1441

Add 21160
Pentateuch ('Yonah Pentateuch'): Germany, 13th century

Add 21967
Hebrew translation of the first two books of Avicenna's Canon: Rome, 15th century

Add 22092
Gan Elohim (The Garden of God): France, 1403

Add 22413
Joseph Kara, Festival prayer book for Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) and Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles), German rite ('Tripartite Mahzor'): Germany, c. 1322

Add 26878
Solomon ben Isaac, Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and Rashi's commentary: France, 14th century

Add 26879
Solomon ben Isaac, Former and Latter Prophets with masorah magna and parva, Targum Jonathan and Rashi's commentary: France?, 13th century

Add 26896
Festival prayer book (mahzor), Ashkenazi rite ('Tinted Mahzor'): Germany, 14th century

Add 26897
Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, Ashkenazi rite: Germany, 14th century

Add 26933
Nahmanides, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Spain or Italy, 15th century

Add 26957
Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Italy, 1469

Add 26968
Prayer book (Forli Siddur) for the entire year, Italian rite: Italy, 1383

Add 26970
Rabbi Isaac ben Meir of Düren, Festival prayer book: Germany, 1308-1314

Add 26974
Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel: Italy, 1287

Add 27029
Prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 1501

Add 27126
Prayer book, Sephardic rite: Spain, 14th or 15th century

Add 27137
Jacob ben Asher, Fourth Book of Arba'ah Turim: Hoshen ha-Mishpat ('The Breastplate of Judgment'): Italy, 1360

Add 27167
Pentateuch ('Almanzi Pentateuch') with Haftarot and Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot): Lisbon, 15th century

Add 27210
Haggadah for Passover ('Golden Haggadah'): Catalonia, 14th century

Egerton 872
Solomon ben Isaac ('Rashi'), Commentary on the Pentateuch with the Haftarot on the Five Scrolls: Germany, 1341

Harley 1528
Bible with masorah magna and parva ('Harley Catalan Bible'): Catalonia, 14th century

Harley 1861
Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi), Pentateuch with Targum and Rashi's commentary: France, 14th century

Harley 5531
Joseph ben Judah Zark, Baal ha-Lashon (The Master of the Language): Italy, 1474

Harley 5648
Baruch ben Isaac of Worms, Sefer ha-Terumah: Germany, 1253/1254

Harley 5680
Books Three and Five of the Canon of Avicenna in Hebrew translation: Spain or Italy, 1479

Harley 5686
Festival prayer book (mahzor): Italy, 1427–1466

Harley 5698
Maimonides, Lisbon Mishneh Torah, vol. 1: Lisbon, 1471-1472

Harley 5699
Maimonides, Lisbon Mishneh Torah, vol. 2: Lisbon, 1471-1472

Harley 5709
Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi), Pentateuch: France, 14th century

Harley 5710
Bible with masorah magna and parva: Italy, 13th century

Harley 5711
Bible with masorah magna and parva: Italy, 13th century

Harley 5716
Jacob ben Asher, Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars): Italy, 1475

Harley 5717
Jacob ben Asher and Maimonides, Even ha-Ezer (The Stone of Help) and Hoshen Mishpat (The Breastplate of Judgement) of Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars): Italy, 1475

Harley 5773
Pentateuch ('London Catalan Pentateuch') with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century

Harley 5774
Prophets with masorah magna and parva: Castellon d'Ampurias, 1396

Harley 5775
Hagiographa with masorah magna and parva: Castellon d'Ampurias, 1396

Harley 7586A
Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim) in Samuel ibn Tibbon's translation: Italy, 1283

Harley 7586B
Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim) in Samuel ibn Tibbon's translation: Italy, 13th century

Harley 7621
Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary and Targum Onkelos : Italy, 15th century

King's 1
Bible ('King's Bible'): Catalonia, 14th century

Oriental 42
Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah and the Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi rite ('Dragon's Head Mahzor'): Germany, 14th century

Oriental 1404
Haggadah with commentary and liturgical poems for Passover ('Brother Haggadah'): Catalonia, 14th century

Oriental 1424
Biblical readings and liturgical poems for Passover: Catalonia, 14th century

Oriental 1467
Fragment of the Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and masorah magna and parva: Persia, 11th-12th century

Oriental 1487
Abraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Iberian Peninsula or Italy, 15th century

Oriental 2091
Former and Latter Prophets and Hagiographa, with masorah magna and parva: Germany, 13th century

Oriental 2201
Bible with masorah ('First Ibn Merwas Bible'): Toledo, 1300

Oriental 2211
Saadia ben Joseph (Saadia gaon), The Latter Prophets: Yemen, 1475

Oriental 2348
Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 1469

Oriental 2363
Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and masorah magna and parva: Persia or Babylonia, 11th-12th century

Oriental 2365
Bible with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 14th century

Oriental 2373
A portion of the Hagiographa with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 13th century

Oriental 2396
Solomon ibn Gabirol and others, Miscellany of ethical texts: Italy, 1382

Oriental 2451
Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Persia, 1483

Oriental 2493
Portions from the Exodus with Arabic translation and commentary: Persia, Babylonia or Egypt, 14th century

Oriental 2540
Fragments from Exodus: Palestine or Egypt, 10th century

Oriental 2626
Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 1483

Oriental 2627
Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 15th century

Oriental 2628
Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 15th century

Oriental 2696
Pentateuch, Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot) and Haftarot with masorah and commentary: Germany, 14th century

Oriental 2733
Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Franco-German rite: France, 14th century

Oriental 2736
Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Bertinoro, 1390

Oriental 2737
Haggadah for Passover ('Hispano-Moresque Haggadah'): Castile, c. 1300

Oriental 2884
Haggadah for Passover ('Sister Haggadah'): Barcelona, 14th century

Oriental 4227
Bible with masorah: France, 14th century

Oriental 5024
Decisions of Isaiah of Trani the Younger (Pisqei Rabbi Yeshayah Aharon): Italy, 1374

Oriental 5600
Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, North African rite: North Africa, 15th century

Oriental 9879
Biblical fragments ('First Gaster Bible') with masorah magna and parva (sections from Psalms): Egypt, 10th century

Oriental 9880
Biblical fragments ('Second Gaster Bible') with masorah magna and parva (Fragments from the Pentateuch): Egypt, 11th or 12th century

Oriental 9900
Parts of the Scriptures (Ketuvim): Italy, 15th century

Oriental 10186
Prayer book with Haggadah and Pirqei Avot, Ashkenazi rite: Italy, 15th century

Oriental 10752
Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Italy, 15th century

Oriental 11594
Festival prayer book (mahzor) for the whole year, Sephardic rite, with the commentary of Joseph Zaddik: Spain, 15th century

Oriental 11796
Series of calendrial and astronomical tables: France or Spain, 15th century

Oriental 11924
Prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 15th century

Oriental 14061
Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim): Catalonia, 14th century

Sloane 3173
Haggadah for Passover with the commentaries of Isaac Abravanel ('Leipnik Haggadah'): Germany, 1740

Stowe 30
Prayers: England, 1578

Yates Thompson 31
Matfré Ermengau of Béziers, Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version): Catalonia, 14th century