The Golden Haggadah (The British Library manuscripts in colour series)

The "Golden Haggadah" is one of the outstanding works among the British Library's collection of Hebrew manuscripts. The Haggadah, a type of prayer book, is the order of service for the celebration of Passover-eve in the home. Traditionally, it is the most richly decorated and illuminated of all Jewish prayerbooks. Written and illuminated in Northern Spain, probably Barcelona, in around 1320, the "Golden Haggadah" is a superb example of a Spanish style of the Haggadah, opening with several full-page illustrations narrating the story of the Exodus and the Passover ritual. This volume provides an account of the manuscript's creation and history. It reproduces all the manuscript's major illustrations and provides an accessible introduction to Hebrew manuscript art as well as an authoritatie commentary on the content and illustrative scheme of the "Golden Haggadah".