The National Library of Israel is displaying a rare 14th-century manuscript of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah for the first time as part of its permanent exhibition.
The illuminated volume, copied in Provence between 1300 and 1350 C.E., represents one of Judaism’s most significant legal texts. Italian artist Matteo di Ser Cambio later enhanced the manuscript in Spain with vivid illustrations, gold ornamentation and decorative motifs featuring figures, animals and plants.
The manuscript shows evidence of centuries of scholarly use, including proofreading notes and corrections. It also bears marks of 16th-century Christian censorship, with erasures on its final page and a censor’s seal from 1574.
The Mishneh Torah is considered Maimonides’ most important work, encompassing all areas of Jewish law.
Several other items are making their public debut in the exhibition “A Treasury of Words” at the William Davidson Permanent Exhibition Gallery.
A 15th-century prayer book from Lisbon offers one of the last glimpses into Spanish and Portuguese Jewish liturgical traditions before the 1492 expulsion. The volume features block lettering with colorful and gold decorations.
The library is also presenting a newly discovered 13th-century liturgical poem found within the pages of the Worms Machzor. The illuminated poem appears between two columns with lions at their base.
Other highlights include the world’s earliest printed Passover Haggadah, produced in Guadalajara, Spain, in 1482, and the Benghazi Haggadah from 1943. The latter was hastily printed on confiscated telegram forms by Jewish Brigade soldiers for a Seder held shortly after Libya’s liberation from Nazi control.
The exhibition also features Persian poetry manuscripts, including a tale of Layla and Majnun by 12th-century poet Nizami Ganjavi—a tragic love story that inspired works including Eric Clapton’s song “Layla.”
Two rotating exhibitions at the library have been extended through May 15, 2026, due to popular demand.
Tickets are available at nli.org.il/en.
