History of North French Miscellany
British Library's most Important French Medieval Manuscript
In the magnificent and luxurious North French Miscellany every page is a work of art. This Hebrew manuscript has travelled Europe and has a long and fascinating history.
The North French Miscellany is a magnificent work of medieval art and probably the most important Hebrew manuscript at the British Library. It has 84 different groups of text as well as hundreds of poems reflecting the tastes of its medieval patron, all written in the most beautiful calligraphy. The Miscellany contains the most important Jewish texts: the Pentateuch and Haftarot (readings from the Prophets)and the Song of Songs, together with many biblical texts and prayers such as those for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It also gives guidance on rituals regarding marriage, divorce and even business partnerships! The volume contains the Hebrew version of the Book of Tobit, an extremely rare text in medieval manuscripts.
The History of the Manuscript
Researchers have established that the manuscript originated in northeast France, in the region of Picardy-Artois. Contextual and pictorial evidence puts it between 1278 and 1280.
At this time Philip III was king of France, having succeeded his father, Louis IX (Saint Louis), in 1270. Louis IX enjoyed an exceedingly long reign, (1226-70) during which time he imposed increasingly severe restrictions on the Jewish community.
A decree of 1219 forced Jews to wear the Jewish badge, the rouelle. Philip imposed additional restrictions on the Jewish community when he enacted a further decree in 1277 forcing all Jews to wear the horned, or "Jew's" Hat, in addition to the rouelle. So the highly visual hats and badges, the product of a decree of the previous year, have set the manuscript's date between 1278 and 1280. In Folio 114r Aaron is portrayed wearing the 'Jew's' Hat. The manuscript's date of origin is further confirmed by the inclusion of the earliest known copy of Isaac de Corbeil's Sefer Mitsvot Katan, a legal code composed in or around 1277.
The Manuscript comes to London
Following its creation the manuscript probably left France during a period of increasing Jewish persecution in 1306. It had reached Mestre in Italy by 1479 and eventually found its way to Venice. No one knows for sure what happened to the manuscript between 1479 and 1784. Catherine de Medici, Louis XIV, Cardinal Richelieu and Henry IV were all avid collectors of Hebrew manuscripts, and perhaps the manuscript was owned by one of these. We'll probably never know. It was eventually purchased by the British Museum where it became Additional Manuscript 11639 and is now the most important manuscript in the British Library's Hebrew manuscript collection.
After several years of negotiation the British Library has permitted a facsimile edition to be produced to the highest possible standards by world leaders in this field, Michael and Linda Falter of Facsimile Editions, London.
Source:
- Thanks to Linda and Michael Falter at Facsimile Editions, London, for their help and advice in writing this article.
