Happy Passover!

This is a picture of Jonah being eaten by the Whale from a 15th century Haggadah called the Ryland Haggadah after the name of the library that owns it. The kind of word picture is called micrography and this Haggadah is filled with them as well as the more familiar sorts of illuminations one finds in medieval manuscripts.

The Haggadah was created in two stages by two different scribes. The first one by the scribe Avraham ben Asher, the second one by another unnamed artist.

I like to imagine what it would have been like to have this precious book in the 15th century. It is no wonder our custom is to avoid the full meal until after the Passover service has ended. Imagine trying to keep this wonderful work of art safe from the messiness of the food.

You can find every page of the Haggadah at the University of Cambridge Digital Library.