The book, likely the only surviving copy of its kind, offers a rare glimpse into the life, institutions and heritage of the lost Jewish community of Provence during the Middle Ages. The text is also available in digital format.
The manuscript contains a commentary on seven of the 14 volumes of Maimonides' “Mishneh Torah” and was copied in Provence, likely soon after the death of its author, Rabbi Joseph Kimhi, in 1170. In it, Kimhi provides sources for Maimonides' legal and philosophical rulings, some of which no longer exist elsewhere.
Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of the National Library’s Judaica collection, called the manuscript "the last and only testimony to the spiritual and intellectual depth and cultural richness that thrived in Provence’s Jewish community until about 600 years ago."
"The National Library has both the privilege and responsibility to preserve and present this rare documentation of a vanished community to the Israeli public and the Jewish people. I thank the generous donors whose support made it possible to display and share this unique item," Neria said.
In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, a major ideological conflict emerged between supporters of Maimonides' progressive ideas and conservative factions that rejected his teachings. Some even went so far as to burn Maimonides' writings.
