Hebrew Bible, Spain, Toledo, Kislev 5068 / December 1307 , ink on parchment , Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Friedberg MSS 5-001

Hebrew Bible, Spain, Toledo, Kislev 5068 / December 1307 , ink on parchment , Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Friedberg MSS 5-001

This Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) was written and decorated in 1307 in Christian-ruled Toledo at a time when Jewish life in Spain was becoming increasingly difficult, culminating in the final expulsion of Jews as well as Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. Possibly commissioned for personal family use rather than for a synagogue, this manuscript is punctuated by pages of intricate and playful geometric designs, such as the rhythmic wavy lines made up of Hebrew characters seen here. Along with the exact date, the gifted scribe has included his name in the colophon: Yosef ben Yehudah ben Meryas.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

December 1307

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Dimensions: 26.8 x 23.0 x 8.7; 23.0 x 16.0 x 9.9

Material: ink on parhcment

Hebrew

Fisher Friedberg MSS 5-001

Spain, Toledo