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89-399: The Golden Haggadah measures 24.7×19.5 cm, is made of vellum , and consists of 101 leaves. It is a Hebrew text written in square Sephardi script. There are fourteen full-page miniatures, each consisting of four scenes on a gold ground . It has a seventeenth-century Italian binding of dark brown sheepskin. The manuscript has outer decorations of blind-tooled fan-shaped motifs pressed into

178-627: A clear commandment to include them in the category of chametz. Since the 19th century, the Reform movement has permitted eating kitniyot, and in 2015 the Conservative movement followed suit. Sephardi Jews have always permitted eating kitniyot on Passover. Gebrochts ( Yiddish : געבראקטס, lit.   'broken', also known as Hebrew : מצה שרויה, romanized : matzah shruya , lit.   'soaked matzah') refers to matzah that has absorbed liquid. Some Hasidic Jews avoid gebrochts as well, to avoid

267-587: A diploma as a "sheepskin" alludes to the time when diplomas were written on vellum made from animal hides. British Acts of Parliament are still printed on vellum for archival purposes, as are those of the Republic of Ireland . In February 2016, the UK House of Lords announced that legislation would be printed on archival paper instead of the traditional vellum from April 2016. However, Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock intervened by agreeing to fund

356-488: A frame (a "herse"), and scraping of the skin with a crescent-shaped knife (a "lunarium" or " lunellum "). To create tension, the process goes back and forth between scraping, wetting and drying. Scratching the surface with pumice , and treating with lime or chalk to make it suitable for writing or printing ink can create a final look. Modern "paper vellum" is made of plant cellulose fibers and gets its name from its similar usage to actual vellum, as well as its high quality. It

445-490: A high-quality traditional vellum, paper vellum could be produced thin enough to be virtually transparent to strong light, enabling a source drawing to be used directly in the reproduction of field-used drawings. Vellum is ideally stored in a stable environment with constant temperature and 30% (± 5%) relative humidity . If vellum is stored in an environment with less than 11% relative humidity, it becomes fragile, and vulnerable to mechanical stresses . However, if it

534-658: A lamb, and inspect it daily for blemishes. During the day on 14th Nisan, they were to slaughter the animal and use its blood to mark their lintels and door posts . Before midnight on 15th Nisan, they were to consume the lamb. The English term Passover is first known to be recorded in the English language in William Tyndale 's translation of the Bible, later appearing in the King James Version as well. It

623-620: A mnemonic poem of the laws and customs of Passover on blank pages between miniatures added in the seventeenth century, a birth entry of a son in Italy 1689, and the signatures of censors for the years 1599, 1613, and 1629. The Golden Haggadah is now in the London British Library shelf mark MS 27210. It was acquired by the British Museum in 1865 as part of the collection of Joseph Almanzi of Padua . The miniatures of

712-412: A non-Jew (who is not obligated to celebrate the commandments) in exchange for a small down payment ( e.g. $ 1.00), with the remainder due after Passover. This sale is considered completely binding according to Halakha, and at any time during the holiday, the buyer may come to take or partake of his property. The rabbi then re-purchases the goods for less than they were sold at the end of the holiday. On

801-578: A set of scriptural and Rabbinic passages dealing with the Passover sacrifice, customarily recited after the Mincha (afternoon prayer) service on the 14th of Nisan, and in the form of the zeroa , a symbolic food placed on the Passover Seder Plate (but not eaten), which is usually a roasted shankbone (or a chicken wing or neck). The eating of the afikoman substitutes for the eating of

890-663: A small bonfire) is done on the next morning, the blessing is made at night because the search is both in preparation for and part of the commandments to remove and destroy all chametz from one's possession. Before the search is begun there is a special blessing . If several people or family members assist in the search then only one person, usually the head of that family recites the blessing having in mind to include everyone present: Hebrew : ברוך אתה י-הוה א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על בעור חמץ , romanized :  bāruḵ attā aḏonāy Elohēnu meleḵ hāʿolām ʾəšer qiddəšānu bəmiṣwāṯāw wəṣiwānu ʿal bəʿor ḥāmeṣ The search

979-589: A state, and a Gentile . The offering had to be made before a quorum of 30. In the Temple, the Levites sang Hallel while the priests performed the sacrificial service. Men and women were equally obligated regarding the offering ( Pesahim 91b). Today, in the absence of the Temple, when no sacrifices are offered or eaten, the mitzvah of the sacrifice is memorialized in the Seder Korban Pesach ,

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1068-677: A thorough housecleaning to make their premises "kosher for Pesach" to cater to observant Jews. Some scholars suggest that the command to abstain from leavened food or yeast suggests that sacrifices offered to God involve the offering of objects in "their least altered state", that would be nearest to the way in which they were initially made by God. According to other scholars the absence of leaven or yeast means that leaven or yeast symbolizes corruption and spoiling. There are also variations with restrictions on eating matzah before Passover so that there will be an increased appetite for it during Passover itself. Primarily among Chabad Chassidim, there

1157-510: Is a custom of not eating matzah (flat unleavened bread) in the 30 days before Passover begins. Others have a custom to refrain from eating matzah from Rosh Chodesh Nissan, while the halacha merely restricts one from eating matzah on the day before Passover. Kitniyot ( Hebrew : קִטְנִיּוֹת, qitniyyot ; literally "small things") refers to legumes, rice, maize, and other foods that are similar to grains. Ashkenazi Jews historically refrain from eating kitniyot on Passover, despite there not being

1246-627: Is a literal translation of the Hebrew term. In the King James Version, Exodus 12:23 reads: For the L ORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the L ORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. The Passover ritual is "a mitzvah commanded by Torah (rather than of rabbinic origin)." The Passover ritual

1335-442: Is also used on instruments such as the banjo and the bodhran , although synthetic skins are available for these instruments and have become more commonly used. The Catholic Church still issues its decrees and diplomas for its officials on vellum. Modern imitation vellum is made from plasticized rag cotton or fibers from interior tree bark . Terms include: paper vellum, Japanese vellum, and vegetable vellum. Paper vellum

1424-601: Is based in Newport Pagnell , Buckinghamshire . A modern imitation is made of cotton . Known as paper vellum, this material is considerably cheaper than animal vellum and can be found in most art and drafting supply stores. Some brands of writing paper and other sorts of paper use the term "vellum" to suggest quality. Vellum is still used for Jewish scrolls, of the Torah in particular, for luxury bookbinding , memorial books, and for various documents in calligraphy . It

1513-544: Is believed that the two illustrators who worked on the manuscript were influenced by and studied other similar mid-13th-century manuscripts for inspiration, including the famous Morgan Crusader Bible and the Psalter of Saint Louis . This could be seen in the composition of the miniatures' French Gothic styling. The architectural arrangements, however, are in Italianate form as evidenced by the coffered ceilings created in

1602-551: Is borrowed from Old French vélin 'calfskin', derived in turn from the Latin word vitulinum 'made from calf'. However, in Europe, from Roman times, the word was used for the best quality of prepared skin, regardless of the animal from which the hide was obtained. Calf , sheep , and goat were all commonly used, and other animals, including pig, deer, donkey, horse, or camel were used on occasion. The best quality, "uterine vellum",

1691-757: Is forbidden during Passover. Yeast and fermentation are not themselves forbidden as seen for example by wine, which is required, rather than merely permitted. According to Halakha, the ownership of such chametz is also proscribed. Chametz does not include baking soda , baking powder or like products. Although these are defined in English as leavening agents, they leaven by chemical reaction, not by biological fermentation. Thus, bagels, waffles and pancakes made with baking soda and matzah meal are considered permissible, while bagels made with sourdough and pancakes and waffles made with yeast are prohibited. The Torah commandments regarding chametz are: Observant Jews spend

1780-425: Is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material . It is often distinguished from parchment , either by being made from calfskin (rather than the skin of other animals), or simply by being of a higher quality. Vellum is prepared for writing and printing on single pages, scrolls , and codices (books). Modern scholars and experts often prefer to use the broader term "membrane", which avoids

1869-523: Is rendered as Tiberian [pɛsaħ] , and Modern Hebrew : [ˈpesaχ] Pesaḥ, Pesakh . The verb pāsaḥ ( פָּסַח ) is first mentioned in the Torah 's account of the Exodus, and there is some debate about its exact meaning. The commonly held assumption that it means "He passed over" ( פסח ), in reference to God "passing over" (or "skipping") the houses of the Hebrews during

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1958-586: Is stored in an environment with greater than 40% relative humidity, it becomes vulnerable to gelation and to mould or fungus growth. The optimal relative humidity for proper storage of vellum does not overlap that of paper, which poses a challenge for libraries. The optimal temperature for the keeping of vellum is approximately 20 °C (68 °F). Passover Passover , also called Pesach ( / ˈ p ɛ s ɑː x , ˈ p eɪ -/ ; Biblical Hebrew : חַג הַפֶּסַח ‎ , romanized:  Ḥag hapPesaḥ , lit.   ' Pilgrimage of

2047-755: Is the sacrificial lamb During the existence of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem , the focus of the Passover festival was the Passover sacrifice, also known as the Paschal lamb, eaten during the Passover Seder on the 15th of Nisan. Every family large enough to completely consume a young lamb or wild goat was required to offer one for sacrifice at the Jewish Temple on the afternoon of

2136-505: Is the same date on the solar calendar, sometimes two days later, and sometimes an entire month later. In 2024, Rabbinical Passover begins at sunset on 22 April. On the calendar used by the Samaritans, 22 April 2024 is also the day of the Passover sacrifice. Karaite and Samaritan Passovers are each one day long followed by the six-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, for a total of seven days. The main entity in Passover according to Judaism

2225-413: Is then usually conducted by the head of the household joined by his family including children under the supervision of their parents. It is customary to turn off the lights and conduct the search by candlelight , using a feather and a wooden spoon: candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the feather can dust crumbs out of their hiding places; and the wooden spoon which collects

2314-470: Is thought by modern scholars to have its origins in an apotropaic rite unrelated to the Exodus to ensure the protection of a family home, a rite conducted wholly within a clan. Ezov was employed to daub the blood of a slaughtered sheep on the lintels and door posts to ensure that demonic forces could not enter the home. A further hypothesis maintains that once the Priestly Code was promulgated,

2403-419: Is to be set apart on 10th Nisan, and slaughtered at dusk as 14th Nisan ends in preparation for the 15th of Nisan when it will be eaten after being roasted. The literal meaning of the Hebrew is "between the two evenings". It is then to be eaten "that night", 15th Nisan, roasted, without the removal of its internal organs with unleavened bread, known as matzah, and bitter herbs known as maror . Nothing of

2492-439: Is used for a variety of purposes including tracing, technical drawings, plans and blueprints . Tracing paper is essentially the same thing, however the quality level differs, sometimes greatly. Though Christopher de Hamel , an expert on medieval manuscripts, writes that "for most purposes the words parchment and vellum are interchangeable", a number of distinctions have been made in the past and present. The word "vellum"

2581-424: Is usually translucent and its various sizes are often used in applications where tracing is required, such as architectural plans . Its dimensions are more stable than a linen or paper sheet, which is frequently critical in the development of large scaled drawings such as blueprints . Paper vellum has also become extremely important in hand or chemical reproduction technology for dissemination of plan copies. Like

2670-723: The Angel of Death to bring about the tenth plague , in which he would smite all the firstborn in Egypt . But when the angel saw the blood on the Israelites' doorframes, he would pass over their homes so that the plague should not enter (hence the name.) The story is part of the broader Exodus narrative, in which the Israelites, while living in Egypt, are enslaved en masse by the Pharaoh to suppress them; when Pharaoh refuses God's demand to let them go, God sends ten plagues upon Egypt. After

2759-550: The Dance of Marian where blue lines frame the illustration with red edges and white arabesque decorating inside them. At the edge of each collection of panels can also be found black floral arabesque growing out from the corners. The miniatures of the Golden Haggadah are decidedly High Gothic in style. This was influenced by the early 14th-century Catalan School, a Gothic style that is French with Italianate influence. It

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2848-547: The Hebrew month of Nisan , which is considered the first month of the Hebrew year. The Rabbinical Jewish calendar is adjusted to align with the solar calendar in such a way that 15 Nisan always coincides with Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. The Hebrew day starts and ends at sunset, so the holiday starts at sunset the day before. For example, in 2024, 15 Nisan coincides with Tuesday, April 23. Therefore, Pesach starts at sundown on Monday, April 22. Biblical Hebrew : פֶּסַח

2937-615: The Metonic cycle . In Israel , Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work; the intervening days are known as Chol HaMoed ("Weekdays [of] the Festival"). Jews outside of Israel celebrate the festival for eight days. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews usually celebrate

3026-497: The mazzah (fol.44v), and the maror (fol.45v). The concluding section of the piyyutim consists of only initial-word panels. The Golden Haggadah is presumed to have been created sometime around 1320–1330. While originating in Spain , it is believed that the manuscript found its way to Italy in possession of Jews banished from the country in 1492. The original illustrators for the manuscript are unknown. Based on artistic evidence,

3115-594: The "festival [of] the unleavened bread" ( Biblical Hebrew : חג המצות , romanized:  ḥaḡ ham-maṣoṯ ) in the Hebrew Bible , the commandment to keep Passover is recorded in the Book of Leviticus : In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk is the LORD's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. In

3204-462: The 14th day of Nisan, and eat it that night, which was the 15th of Nisan. If the family was too small to finish eating the entire offering in one sitting, an offering was made for a group of families. The sacrifice could not be offered with anything leavened, and had to be roasted, without its head, feet, or inner organs being removed and eaten together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs ( maror ). One had to be careful not to break any bones from

3293-419: The 180-copy edition of Johannes Gutenberg 's first Bible printed in 1455 with movable type was also printed on vellum, presumably because his market expected this for a high-quality book. Paper was used for most book-printing, as it was cheaper and easier to process through a printing press and to bind . The twelfth-century Winchester Bible was also written on approximately 250 calfskins. In art, vellum

3382-571: The Exodus narrative took on a central function, as the apotropaic rite was, arguably, amalgamated with the Canaanite agricultural festival of spring which was a ceremony of unleavened bread , connected with the barley harvest. As the Exodus motif grew, the original function and symbolism of these double origins was lost. Several motifs replicate the features associated with the Akitu spring festival of ancient Mesopotamian religion , which celebrates

3471-665: The Feast of Unleavened Bread) stress the importance of remembering: In 2 Kings 23:21–23 and 2 Chronicles 35:1–19, King Josiah of Judah restores the celebration of the Passover, to a standard not seen since the days of the judges or the days of the prophet Samuel . Ezra 6:19–21 records the celebration of the passover by the Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon , after the temple had been rebuilt . Some of these details can be corroborated, and to some extent amplified, in extrabiblical sources. The removal (or "sealing up") of

3560-503: The Gallico family coat of arms in recognition of the ceremony. The commemorative text inscribed in the title page translates from the Hebrew as: “NTNV as a gift [...] the honored Mistress Rosa, (May she be blessed among the women of the tent), daughter of our illustrious Honored Teacher Rabbi Yoav Gallico, (may his Rock preserve him) to his son-in-law, the learned Honored Teacher Elia (may his Rock preserve him) Son of

3649-475: The Golden Haggadah all follow a similar layout. They are painted onto the flesh side of the vellum and divided into panels of four frames read in the same direction as the Hebrew language, from right to left and from top to bottom. The panels each consist of a background in burnished gold with a diamond pattern stamped onto it. A border is laid around each panel made of red or blue lines, the inside of which are decorated with arabesque patterns. This can be seen in

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3738-420: The Hebrew root חסה , meaning "to have pity". Cognate languages yield similar terms with distinct meanings, such as "make soft, soothe, placate" ( Akkadian passahu ), "harvest, commemoration, blow" ( Egyptian ), or "separate" ( Arabic fsh ). Pesach may also refer to the lamb or goat which was designated as the Passover sacrifice. Four days before the Exodus, the Hebrews were commanded to set aside

3827-462: The Israelites to mark a lamb 's blood above their doors so God will pass over them and the plague of the death of the firstborn will not afflict them. The biblical regulations for the observance of the festival require that all leavening be disposed of before the beginning of the 15th of Nisan according to Exodus 13:7 An unblemished lamb or goat, known as the Passover sacrifice or "Paschal Lamb",

3916-504: The Paschal lamb in the individual homes of the Hebrews and smearing the blood of the lamb on their doorways were celebrated in Egypt. However, once Israel was in the wilderness and the Tabernacle was in operation, a change was made in those two original requirements. Passover lambs were to be sacrificed at the door of the Tabernacle and no longer in the homes of the Jews. No longer, therefore, could blood be smeared on doorways. Called

4005-659: The Passing Over '), is a major Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals . It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt . According to the Book of Exodus , God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorframes with its blood, in addition to instructions for consuming the lamb that night. For that night, God would send

4094-456: The afternoon. Jubilees states the sacrifice was eaten that night, and together with Josephus states that nothing of the sacrifice was allowed to remain until morning. Philo states that the banquet included hymns and prayers. The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan , which at present falls between March 26 and April 25 of the Gregorian calendar . The 15th day begins in

4183-426: The baselines on which the text was entered and with vertical bounding lines that marked the boundaries of the columns". Most of the finer sort of medieval manuscripts, whether illuminated or not, were written on vellum. Some Gandhāran Buddhist texts were written on vellum, and all Sifrei Torah (Hebrew: ספר תורה Sefer Torah; plural: ספרי תורה, Sifrei Torah) are written on kosher klaf or vellum. A quarter of

4272-606: The beginning of Passover and during the family meal. These holy manuscripts were generally collected in private handheld devotional books. The introduction of Haggadah as illustrated manuscripts occurred around the 13th and 14th centuries. Noble Jewish patrons of the European royal courts would often use the illustration styles of the time to have their Haggadah made into illustrated manuscripts. The manuscripts would have figurative representations of stories and steps to take during service combined with traditional ornamental workings of

4361-533: The continued use of vellum from the Cabinet Office budget. On 2017, the House of Commons Commission agreed that it would provide front and back vellum covers for record copies of Acts. Today, because of low demand and complicated manufacturing process, animal vellum is expensive and hard to find. The only UK company still producing traditional parchment and vellum is William Cowley (established 1870), which

4450-531: The covering for stiff board bindings. Vellum can be stained virtually any color but seldom is, as a great part of its beauty and appeal rests in its faint grain and hair markings, as well as its warmth and simplicity. Lasting in excess of 1,000 years—for example, Pastoral Care (Troyes, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 504) , dates from about 600 and is in excellent condition—animal vellum can be far more durable than paper. For this reason, many important documents are written on animal vellum, such as diplomas. Referring to

4539-501: The distinction, among collectors of manuscripts, is that vellum is a highly refined form of skin, parchment a cruder form, usually thick, harsh, less highly polished than vellum, but with no distinction between skin of calf, or sheep, or of goat. French sources, closer to the original etymology, tend to define velin as from calf only, while the British Standards Institution defines parchment as made from

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4628-418: The evening, after the 14th day, and the seder meal is eaten that evening. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan typically begins on the night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox . However, due to leap months falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016. To ensure that Passover did not start before spring,

4717-485: The events of the Biblical books of Genesis and Exodus, ranging from Adam naming the animals and concluding with the song of Miriam . The following set of illustrations consist of illustrated steps on the preparations needed for Passover. The second section of the decorated Haggadah text contains text decorated with initial word panels. These also included three text illustrations showing a dragon drinking wine (fol.27),

4806-631: The final of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, stems from the translation provided in the Septuagint ( Ancient Greek : παρελεύσεται , romanized :  pareleusetai in Exodus 12:23, and ἐσκέπασεν , eskepasen in Exodus 12:27.) The Targum Onkelos , written in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic , translates pesach as Hebrew : וְיֵחוֹס , romanized :  wəyēḥos , lit.   'he had pity', coming from

4895-404: The first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. And ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days; in the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. The sacrifices may be performed only in a specific place prescribed by God. For Judaism, this is Jerusalem. The biblical commandments concerning the Passover (and

4984-447: The first word and a noticeable gap that follows it, leaving out the word “to” or “by”. There are three theorized ways to read this translation. The current theory is a translation of  “He gave it [Netano] as a gift. . .[ignores references to Mistress Rosa]. . .to his son-in-law. . .Elia.” This translation works to ignore the reference to the bride and states that Rabbi Joav presented the manuscript to his new son-in-law. This presents

5073-456: The hair. Once clear, the two sides of the skin are distinct: the body side and the hairy side. The "inside body side" of the skin is usually the lighter and more refined of the two. The hair follicles may be visible on the outer side, together with any scars from when the animal was alive. The membrane can also show the pattern of the animal's vein network called the "veining" of the sheet. The makers remove any remaining hair ("scudding") and dry

5162-446: The highest quality at the time. In regards to the Golden Haggadah, it was most likely created as a part of this trend in the early 14th century. It is considered one of the earliest examples of illustrated Haggadot of Spanish origin to contain a complete sequence of illustrations of the books of Genesis and Exodus. The Sarajevo Haggadah of about 1350 is probably the next best known example from Catalonia . Vellum Vellum

5251-519: The holiday over seven days. Karaites use a different calendar; they rely on visual identification of ripe barley and the date of Passover cannot be determined before this. Some modern Karaites follow the Rabbinical calendar in modern Israel because of social pressure. The Samaritans use a calendrical system that uses a different method from that current in Rabbinic practice; it sometimes

5340-464: The leather cover with a heated brass tool on the front and back. The Golden Haggadah is a selection of texts to be read on the first night of Passover, dealing with the Exodus of the Israelites . It is composed of three main parts. These are fourteen full pages of miniatures, a decorated Haggadah text, and a selection of 100 Passover piyyutim liturgical poems. The first section of miniatures portray

5429-634: The leaven is referred to in the Elephantine papyri and ostraca in an Imperial Aramaic papyrus letter from the 5th century BCE from Elephantine , Egypt. The slaughter of the lambs on the 14th is mentioned in Jubilees , a Jewish work of the Ptolemaic period , and by the Herodian-era writers Josephus and Philo . These sources also indicate that "between the two evenings" was taken to mean

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5518-438: The manuscript was originally Rosa's and she gifted it to her groom, Elia. This theory also has its flaws in that this would mean the male version of “to give” was used for Rosa and not the feminine version. In addition, Elia is referred to as the son-in-law of her father, rather than merely her groom, which makes little sense if Rabbi Joav was not involved in some form. Additional changes to the manuscript that can be dated include

5607-520: The medieval instructions now followed by modern membrane makers. The makers rubbed them with a round, flat object ("pouncing") to ensure that the ink would adhere to the surface. Even so, ink would gradually flake off of the membrane, especially if it was used in a scroll that was frequently rolled and unrolled. Once the vellum is prepared, traditionally a quire is formed of a group of several sheets. Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham point out, in their Introduction to Manuscript Studies , that "the quire

5696-610: The miniatures. Most likely these influences reached Barcelona in the early 14th century. The Haggadah is a copy of the liturgy used during the Seder service of Jewish Passover . The most common traits of a Haggadah are the inclusion of an introduction on how to set the table for a seder, an opening mnemonic device for remembering the order of the service, and content based on the Hallel Psalms and three Pedagogic Principles. These written passages are intended to be read aloud at

5785-400: The need to draw a distinction between vellum and parchment. It may be very hard to determine the animal species involved (let alone its age) without detailed scientific analysis. Vellum is generally smooth and durable, but there are great variations in its texture which are affected by the way it is made and the quality of the skin. The making involves the cleaning, bleaching, stretching on

5874-467: The night of the fourteenth of Nisan , the night before the Passover Seder (after nightfall on the evening before Passover eve), Jews do a formal search in their homes known as bedikat chametz for any possible remaining leaven ( chametz ). The Talmudic sages instructed that a search for chametz be made in every home, place of work, or any place where chametz may have been brought during

5963-424: The offering, and none of the meat could be left over by morning. Because of the Passover sacrifice's status as a sacred offering, the only people allowed to eat it were those who had the obligation to bring the offering. Among those who could not offer or eat the Passover lamb were an apostate , a servant, an uncircumcised man , a person in a state of ritual impurity except when a majority of Jews are in such

6052-441: The original owner's possession in a locked cabinet until they can be repurchased after the holiday. Modern observance may also include sealing cabinets and drawers which contain "Chametz" shut by using adhesive tape, which serves a similar purpose to a lock but also shows evidence of tampering. Although the practice of selling "Chametz" dates back many years, some Reform rabbinical authorities have come to regard it with disdain – since

6141-417: The piece of skin. The number of sheets depends on the size of the skin and the required length and breadth of each individual sheet. For example, the average calfskin could provide roughly three and a half medium sheets of writing material. The makers can double it when they fold the skin into two conjoined leaves, also known as a bifolium. Historians have found evidence of manuscripts where the scribe wrote down

6230-505: The plague of the death of the firstborn. Moses said, “Thus says יהוה : Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians, and every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the first-born of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; and all the first-born of the cattle. And there shall be a loud cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again; Before this final plague, Yahweh commands Moses to tell

6319-456: The possibility that a clump of flour that was never properly mixed with water (and thus is still susceptible to leavening) may come into contact with the liquid. Leaven or chametz may be sold rather than discarded, especially in the case of relatively valuable forms such as liquor distilled from wheat, with the products being repurchased afterward. In some cases, they may never leave the house, instead being formally sold while remaining in

6408-479: The problem of why the bride would be mentioned after the use of the verb “he gave” and leaving out the follow-up of “to” seen as prefix “le”. In support of this theory is that the prefix “le” is used in the second half of the inscription pointing to the groom Elia being the receiver, thus making this the prevailing theory. Another translation is “They gave it [Natnu] as a gift. . .Mistress Rosa (and her father?) to. . . his (her father’s) son-in-law Elia.” This supports

6497-468: The sacrifice at the end of the Seder meal ( Mishnah Pesachim 119a). Many Sephardic Jews have the custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder in memory of the sacrifice. Leaven, in Hebrew chametz ( Hebrew : חמץ ḥamets , " leavening ") is made from one of five types of grains combined with water and left to stand for more than eighteen minutes. The consumption, keeping, and owning of chametz

6586-420: The sacrifice on which the sun rises by the morning of the 15th of Nisan may be eaten, but must be burned. The biblical regulations of the original Passover at the time of the Exodus only also include how the meal was to be eaten: "your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is a passover offering to יהוה ." The biblical requirements of slaying

6675-559: The safe, our Honored Teacher, the Rabbi R. Menahem Ravà (May he live Many good years) On the day of his wedding and the day of the rejoicing of his heart, Here at Carpi, the tenth of the month of Heshvan, Heh Shin Samekh Gimel (1602)” The translation of this inscription has led to debate on who originally gave the manuscript, either the bride Rosa or her father Rabbi Joav. This confusion originates with translation difficulties of

6764-409: The skin by attaching it to a frame (a "herse"). They attach the skin at points around the edge with cords and wrap the part next to these points around a pebble (a "pippin"). They then use a crescent shaped knife, (a "lunarium" or "lunellum"), to clean off any remaining hairs. The makers thoroughly clean the skin and process it into sheets once it is completely dry. They can extract many sheets from

6853-429: The sowing of barley. Scholars John Van Seters , Judah Segal , and Tamara Prošić disagree with the merged two-festivals hypothesis. In the Book of Exodus , the Israelites are enslaved in ancient Egypt. Yahweh , the god of the Israelites, appears to Moses in a burning bush and commands Moses to confront the Pharaoh . To show his power, Yahweh inflicts a series of ten plagues on the Egyptians , culminating in

6942-487: The split skin of several species, and vellum from the unsplit skin. In the usage of modern practitioners of the artistic crafts of writing, illuminating, lettering, and bookbinding, "vellum" is normally reserved for calfskin, while any other skin is called "parchment". Vellum allows some light to pass through it. It is made from the skin of a young animal. The skin is washed with water and lime ( calcium hydroxide ), and then soaked in lime for several days to soften and remove

7031-442: The standing theory is that there were at least two illustrators. While there is no evidence of different workshops producing the manuscript, there are two distinct artistic styles used respectively in groupings of eight folios on single sides of the pages. The first noticeable style is an artist who created somewhat standardized faces for their figures, but was graceful in their work and balanced with their color. The second style seen

7120-410: The supposed "new owner" never takes actual possession of the goods. The sale of chametz may also be conducted communally via a rabbi , who becomes the "agent" for all the community's Jews through a halakhic procedure called a kinyan (acquisition). Each householder must put aside all the chametz he is selling into a box or cupboard, and the rabbi enters into a contract to sell all the chametz to

7209-469: The tenth plague, Pharaoh permits the Israelites to leave. This story is recounted at the Passover Seder by reading the Haggadah . The Haggadah is a standardized ritual account of the Exodus story, in fulfillment of the command "And thou shalt tell [Higgadata] thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the L ORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt." Pesach starts on the 15th day of

7298-438: The theory that the manuscript was given by both Rosa and Rabbi Joav together. The problem with this reading is the strange wording used to describe Rabbi Joav's relationship to Elia and his grammatical placement after Rosa's name as an afterthought. The most grammatically correct translation is “It was given [Netano (or possibly Netanto)] as a gift [by]. . .Mistress Rosa to. . .(her father’s) son-in-law Elia.” . This suggests that

7387-422: The tradition in ancient Israel held that the lunar new year , the first day of Nisan, would not start until the barley was ripe, being the test for the onset of spring. If the barley was not ripe, or various other phenomena indicated that spring was not yet imminent, an intercalary month ( Adar II ) would be added. However, since at least the 4th century, the intercalation has been fixed mathematically according to

7476-596: The weeks before Passover in a flurry of thorough housecleaning, to remove every morsel of chametz from every part of the home. Jewish law requires the elimination of olive -sized or larger quantities of leavening from one's possession, but most housekeeping goes beyond this. Even the seams of kitchen counters are thoroughly cleaned to remove traces of flour and yeast, however small. Any containers or implements that have touched chametz are stored and not used during Passover. Some hotels , resorts , and even cruise ships across America , Europe , and Israel also undergo

7565-479: The year. When the first Seder is on a Saturday night, the search is conducted on the preceding Thursday night (thirteenth of Nisan) as chametz cannot be burned during Shabbat . The Talmud in Pesahim (p. 2a) derives from the Torah that the search for chametz be conducted by the light of a candle and therefore is done at night, and although the final destruction of the chametz (usually by burning it in

7654-493: Was said to be made from the skins of stillborn or unborn animals, although the term was also applied to fine quality skins made from young animals. However, there has long been much blurring of the boundaries between these terms. In 1519, William Horman could write in his Vulgaria : "That stouffe that we wrytte upon, and is made of beestis skynnes, is somtyme called parchement, somtyme velem, somtyme abortyve, somtyme membraan." Writing in 1936, Lee Ustick explained that: To-day

7743-510: Was the scribe's basic writing unit throughout the Middle Ages". Guidelines are then made on the membrane. They note " 'pricking' is the process of making holes in a sheet of parchment (or membrane) in preparation of its ruling. The lines were then made by ruling between the prick marks ...The process of entering ruled lines on the page to serve as a guide for entering text. Most manuscripts were ruled with horizontal lines that served as

7832-556: Was used for paintings, especially if they needed to be sent long distances, before canvas became widely used in about 1500, and continued to be used for drawings, and watercolours . Old master prints were sometimes printed on vellum, especially for presentation copies, until at least the seventeenth century. Limp vellum or limp-parchment bindings were used frequently in the 16th and 17th centuries, and were sometimes gilt but were also often not embellished . In later centuries vellum has been more commonly used like leather, that is, as

7921-439: Was very coarse and energetic in comparison. The original patron who commissioned the manuscript is unknown. The prevailing theory is that the first known owner was Rabbi Joav Gallico of Asti , who presented it as a gift to his daughter Rosa's bridegroom, Eliah Ravà, on the occasion of their wedding in 1602. The evidence for this theory is the addition to the manuscript of a title page with an inscription and another page containing

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