This fifteenth-century haggadah, with a prologue by a Dominican friar, offers a unique view of contemporary Christian perceptions of Judaism. This edition includes a facsimile of the codex; a critical edition and translation of the prologue; a translation of the haggadah; and essays describing the historical and theological background.

Twelve of the greatest works of all time are collected in this dazzling tribute to artistic genius. Bosch, Monet, Gauguin, van Gogh, Botticelli, Degas, and other masters are represented.

"This telling of the life of the Haggadah, probably the most beloved of books that Jews own, chronicles its recalibrations over time. It moves from its early sources in the Bible and rabbinic literature; to the years it was a handwritten manuscript; to its life as an illuminated book in the middle ages; to its emergence as mass-produced printed book and later, as an artist's book; to its iterations in the twentieth century in America and Israel, including those using emerging technologies of our day. It is the story of a liturgical text came about to fulfill a biblical injunction to fathers to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt to their children (literally, to their sons): "And you shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went free from Egypt'" (Exodus 13:8). Despite significant flaws in the text that have occasioned thousands of revisions, it remains well and alive because it allows its users to transmit the story of Exodus as if it happened to them. With a Haggadah in hand at a Passover seder meal, the text kindles the memory of belonging to a people who knew slavery and then liberation and enlivens empathy. An engagement with the Haggadah, inevitable leaves one feeling responsible for helping others to achieve their own liberation".

After the Bible, the Passover haggadah is the most widely read classic text in the Jewish tradition. More than four thousand editions have been published since the late fifteenth century, but few are as exquisite as the Washington Haggadah, which resides in the Library of Congress. Now, a stunning facsimile edition meticulously reproduced in full color brings this beautiful illuminated manuscript to a new generation. Joel ben Simeon, the creator of this unusually well-preserved codex, was among the most gifted and prolific scribe-artists in the history of the Jewish book. David Stern’s introduction reconstructs his professional biography and situates this masterwork within the historical development of the haggadah, tracing the different forms the text took in the Jewish centers of Europe at the dawn of modernity. Katrin Kogman-Appel shows how ben Simeon, more than just a copyist, was an active agent of cultural exchange. As he traveled between Jewish communities, he brought elements of Ashkenazi haggadah illustration to Italy and returned with stylistic devices acquired during his journeys. In addition to traditional Passover images, realistic illustrations of day-to-day life provide a rare window into the world of late fifteenth-century Europe. This edition faithfully preserves the original text, with the Hebrew facsimile appearing in the original right-to-left orientation. It will be read and treasured by anyone interested in Jewish history, medieval illuminated manuscripts, and the history of the haggadah.

Reflecting its Talmudic ancestry, this illuminated Haggadah contains Jewishtories and traditions, and is also a prayerbook made for use. It tells thetory of release from persecution and slavery into freedom and a new life. Its as relevant today as when it was written, over 2000 years ago.;The Exoduxf the Children of Israel from Egypt is a pivotal event in the Bible,elebrated today in books, plays and films. Each year, during the festival ofassover, Jewish families gather to remember the Exodus. The evening meal, oreder, is filled with biblical readings, symbolic foods to be eaten and songso be sung. The traditional patter of this meal is recorded in the Haggadah -iterally, "story-telling".;The book is decorated with illustrations takenrom the British Library's collection of Medieval Haggadot, and theommentary makes the book accessible to all readers.

Discusses four illuminated haggadot, manuscripts created for use at home services on Passover, all created in the early twelfth century.