LANGUAGE: HEBREW
DATE: JULY 30, 1299 - MAY 19, 1300
PAGE #: 904
REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 8.75 IN
DIMENSIONS: 11.25 TALL X 8.75 WIDE (INCHES)
HISTORY: "THE CERVERA BIBLE" IS AMONG THE OLDEST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT SEPHARDI BIBLES TO SURVIVE THE DESTRUCTION OF MOST OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN THE KINGDOMS OF CASTILE AND ARAGON. IT BEGAN IN 1391, CONTINUING WITH THE EXPULSION OF THE JEWS FROM SPAIN IN 1492, AND THEN FROM PORTUGAL IN 1498. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE IBERIAN HEBREW PALEOGRAPHY OF ITS TIME, THIS MANUSCRIPT ON PARCHMENT CONSISTS OF 451 FOLIOS IN TWO COLUMNS, EACH WITH 31 LINES. PROFUSELY ILLUMINATED IN GOLD, AND COLOR, WITH MOZARABIC AND JEWISH MOTIFS. IT INCLUDES THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE MASORAH, AND A GRAMMATICAL TREATISE, SEFER HA-NIKUD, WRITTEN BY RABBI DAVID KIMHI (CIRCA 1160−CIRCA 1235).
DESCRIPTION: THIS IS A RARE EXAMPLE OF A HEBREW MANUSCRIPT CONTAINING AN EXPLICIT SIGNATURE OF THE ARTIST. IT INCLUDES ORNAMENTAL PAGE BORDERS, FULL-PAGE ILLUMINATIONS
