The Rothschild Haggadah

Review of a limited edition facsimile of a rare Hebrew manuscript

Jun 6, 2007

This is a strictly limited facsimile edition of 550 numbered copies of the Rothschild Haggadah, part of a larger medieval collection known as the Rothschild Miscellany.

The Original

The elegant and extensively decorated Rothschild Haggadah, written in 1479 in northern Italy, is part of a larger medieval illuminated manuscript known as the Rothschild Miscellany in the collection of the Israel Museum.

The Haggadah was commissioned by one Moses ben Yekutiel Hakohen and is exceptional because of the fine quality of its illumination and the intellectual richness of its marginal texts.

The main text in this Haggadah is the Ashkenazi Passover-evening service. This is surrounded by a second text, a survey of Passover and its ceremonies written by Maimonides (rabbi, physician and philosopher) entitled 'Laws Concerning Leavened and Unleavened Bread', Hilkhot Hamez Umatsah.

A number of traditional liturgical poems and songs, piyyutim, are also included in the text. An additional text, a medieval text explaining weights and measures, has been written in the margins of these pages.

The Preparation of the Facsimile

A facsimile edition of this quality requires expert photography to guarantee absolutely perfect reproduction of the texts and paintings. To avoid curvature close to the spine the original manuscript had to be disbound so that renowned Israeli photographer, David Harris, could meticulously capture every minute detail. The brilliant colours and detailed paintings of the original have been faithfully reproduced to the highest standard imaginable. Every illustrated page has been hand finished with raised burnished gold. Every mark or stain on the original has also been faithfully reproduced.

Specially Milled Paper, Binding and Gilding

No ordinary paper would have done for this project. The look and feel of the original vellum has been recreated in a specially milled 160gsm, uncoated, neutral pH paper.

Fine gold leaf and powdered gold has been applied by hand to the raised surfaces on each page so that the brilliance of the burnished gold of the original has been reproduced.

White vellum has been used for the binding of both the Haggadah and the Companion Volume. The Companion is printed on classical Ingres and both volumes are neatly presented in a hand-made case.

Commentary Volume

The Haggadah is accompanied by a Commentary Volume that introduces and explains the Haggadah. The Preface was written by Joseph Falter, son of the publishers Michael and Linda Falter. The foreword, by Iris Fishof, tells how the manuscript came into the possession of the Israel Museum. (Iris Fishof was formerly Chief Curator of Judaica & Jewish Ethnography at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.)

All the texts have been translated by Professor Raphael Loewe and Jeremy Schonfield. Professor Loewe is Goldsmid Professor of Hebrew Emeritus at University College London and Jeremy Schonfield is Mason Lecturer at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.

The introduction, by Schonfield, explores the themes of Passover. Maimonides’ laws concerning Passover together with the marginal texts relating to weights and measures have been explained by Professor Loewe.

The facsimile is bound in fine white vellum and both volumes are presented in a hand-made slip-case. Each set is numbered and accompanied by a numbered certificate carrying the seal of the Israel Museum. To make this an extra special gift the facsimile can be presented together with an illuminated gift certificate with personal message inscribed by the publisher’s calligrapher.

Michael and Linda Falter of Facsimile Editions Limited guided this writer in the preparation of this article and also supplied the photograph.

The copyright of the article The Rothschild Haggadah in Classical Art History is owned by Frances Spiegel. Permission to republish The Rothschild Haggadah in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.