Initial-word panel Shir (song) inhabited by a bear and a unicorn, 'Duke of Sussex's German Pentateuch', Germany, 14th century (Add MS 15282, f. 296v). 

Last year we told you about the British Library's project to catalogue our Hebrew illuminated manuscripts. Here is an update with a list of the books in question.

The British Library holds one of the world's most important collections of Hebrew manuscripts, of which about 300 have some decoration. All of the illuminated manuscripts and those with significant decoration are now in our Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. Their inclusion was made possible through grants from the American Trust for the British Library in memory of William T. Golden, the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, Roger and Julie Baskes, and an anonymous donor. We're pleased to announce that more images will be made available in the next upload to the site.

Frontispiece to the first pillar of Arbaah Turim, Orah Hayyim (The Way of Life). The initial-word panel Barukh (blessed) is inhabited by three white rabbits. The lower medallion contains the coat of arms of Joab Emmanuel, Jacob ben Asher, Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars), Italy, 1475 (Harley MS 5716, f. 8). 

These Hebrew illuminated manuscripts range in date from the 10th to the 18th century, and their geographical division is just as wide, encompassing Europe, Northern Africa and the East. Most of them contain religious works, such as biblical and liturgical texts, but there are also a number of legal, philosophical and scientific books. Read more about the decoration and script of our Hebrew manuscripts. 

Detail of a miniature of the plague of lice, 'Golden Haggadah', Catalonia, 14th century (Add MS 27210, f. 12v). 

From the 13th century, Jewish books were examined by Christian censors in order to eliminate passages that were considered blasphemous. The first official list of prohibited Hebrew books (Index autorum et librorum prohibitorum) was published in 1559, but the expurgation or destruction of certain Hebrew books had started much earlier. Official revisers, usually converted Jews, were appointed to revise Hebrew books and implement the restrictions. Many of the Hebrew items in the Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts were present in Italy at some point and include evidence that they were examined by censors.

Text page with punctuated Oriental script, ornamental space fillers and marginal decoration, 'First Gaster Bible', Egypt, 10th century (Or 9879, f. 14v). 

Full-page miniature of Noah's Ark with the raven seated on the ark and the dove returning with a sprig of olive in its beak, 'The Northern French Miscellany', France, 1277-14th century (Add MS 11639, f. 521). 

Historiated initial-word panel Ha lahma aniya (The Bread of Affliction), and a miniature depicting a family by the Seder table, the master of the house placing the basket of unleavened bread on the head of one of his children, 'Barcelona Haggadah', Barcelona, c. 1340 (Add MS 14761, f. 28v). 

Decorated initial-word panel at the beginning of 1 Chronicles, 'Duke of Sussex's Italian Bible', Ferrara?, 15th century (Add MS 15251, f. 313v). 

Detail of a full border, 'Lisbon Bible', Lisbon, 1483 (Or 2626, f. 13v). 

Initial-word panel with gold letters, pen-flourishing and medallions inhabited by hybrids, at the beginning of Numbers, Pentateuch, Germany, 14th century (Or 2696, f. 257v).

Miniature of a man sitting on a bench holding a scroll escorted by a dog, a dragon and a lion. The two scrolls contain masoretic notes, 'Coburg Pentateuch', Coburg, 1390-1396 (Add MS 19776, f. 54v). 

Historiated initial-word panel of the Receiving the Law with Moses stretching his hands for the tablets, and Aaron and the Israelites waiting at the foot of the mountain, 'Tripartite Mahzor', Germany, c. 1322 (Add MS 22413, f. 3). 

Astronomical and calendrical tables, Series of tables, France or Spain, 15th century (Or 11796, f. 57v). 

 

Here is a list of Hebrew manuscripts in the British Library's Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts:

Add 9405	Biblical readings from a festival prayer book (mahzor): Germany, 1309
Add 9406	Biblical readings from a festival prayer book (mahzor): Germany, 1309
Add 10456	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Ashkenazi rite: Germany or Eastern Mediterranean, 1349
Add 11639	Miscellany of biblical and other texts ('The Northern French Miscellany'): France, 1277–14th century
Add 11657	Former and Latter Prophets (Neviim): Italy, 14th century
Add 11830	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Ashkenazi rite: Germany, before 1384
Add 14759	Levi ben Gershon, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Avignon, 1429
Add 14761	Haggadah, liturgical poems and biblical readings for Passover ('Barcelona Haggadah'), Sephardic rite: Barcelona, c. 1340
Add 14762	Eleazar of Worms, Haggadah for Passover ('Ashkenazi Haggadah'), German rite: Ulm?, c. 1460
Add 14763	Maimonides and others, Miscellany of philosophical works: Viterbo, 1273
Add 15250	Bible ('Duke of Sussex's Catalan Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century
Add 15251	Bible ('Duke of Sussex's Italian Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Ferrara?, 1448 or 1498
Add 15252	Duke of Sussex Bible with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century
Add 15282	Pentateuch ('Duke of Sussex's German Pentateuch'): Germany, 14th century
Add 15283	Pentateuch, Haftarot and the Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot): Lisbon, 15th century
Add 15306	Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Spain, 14th or 15th century
Add 15423	Pentateuch ('Duke of Sussex's Italian Pentateuch'): Florence, 1441-1467
Add 16577	Festival prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Add 16916	Prayers for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi rite ('London Days of Awe Mahzor'): Germany, 13th or 14th century
Add 17745	Zohar on Genesis: Italy, 15th century
Add 18424	Works of Rabbi Samson ben Tzadoq and others: Germany, 1307
Add 18684	Works of Isaac of Corbeil and others: France, 1392
Add 18724	Isaac Abravanel, Haggadah for Passover: Hamburg, 1740
Add 18731	Nahmanides, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Isola, 1491
Add 18970	Hebrew Grammar: Spain, 15th century
Add 19064	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Add 19776	Pentateuch ('Coburg Pentateuch') with the Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot), Haftarot, and grammatical treatises: Coburg, 1390-1396
Add 19943	Nathan ben Joel Palquera, Tzorei ha-guf (The balms of the body): Italy, 1447
Add 19944	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite, vol. 1: Florence, 1441
Add 19945	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite, vol. 2: Florence, 1441
Add 21160	Pentateuch ('Yonah Pentateuch'): Germany, 13th century
Add 21967	Hebrew translation of the first two books of Avicenna's Canon: Rome, 15th century
Add 22092	Gan Elohim (The Garden of God): France, 1403
Add 22413	Joseph Kara, Festival prayer book for Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) and Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles), German rite ('Tripartite Mahzor'): Germany, c. 1322
Add 26878	Solomon ben Isaac, Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and Rashi's commentary: France, 14th century
Add 26879	Solomon ben Isaac, Former and Latter Prophets with masorah magna and parva, Targum Jonathan and Rashi's commentary: France?, 13th century
Add 26896	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Ashkenazi rite ('Tinted Mahzor'): Germany, 14th century
Add 26897	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, Ashkenazi rite: Germany, 14th century
Add 26933	Nahmanides, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Spain or Italy, 15th century
Add 26957	Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Italy, 1469
Add 26968	Prayer book (Forli Siddur) for the entire year, Italian rite: Italy, 1383
Add 26970	Rabbi Isaac ben Meir of Düren, Festival prayer book: Germany, 1308-1314
Add 26974	Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel: Italy, 1287
Add 27029	Prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 1501
Add 27126	Prayer book, Sephardic rite: Spain, 14th or 15th century
Add 27137	Jacob ben Asher, Fourth Book of Arba'ah Turim: Hoshen ha-Mishpat ('The Breastplate of Judgment'): Italy, 1360
Add 27167	Pentateuch ('Almanzi Pentateuch') with Haftarot and Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot): Lisbon, 15th century
Add 27210	Haggadah for Passover ('Golden Haggadah'): Catalonia, 14th century
Egerton 872	Solomon ben Isaac ('Rashi'), Commentary on the Pentateuch with the Haftarot on the Five Scrolls: Germany, 1341
Harley 1528	Bible with masorah magna and parva ('Harley Catalan Bible'): Catalonia, 14th century
Harley 1861	Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi), Pentateuch with Targum and Rashi's commentary: France, 14th century
Harley 5531	Joseph ben Judah Zark, Baal ha-Lashon (The Master of the Language): Italy, 1474
Harley 5648	Baruch ben Isaac of Worms, Sefer ha-Terumah: Germany, 1253/1254
Harley 5680	Books Three and Five of the Canon of Avicenna in Hebrew translation: Spain or Italy, 1479
Harley 5686	Festival prayer book (mahzor): Italy, 1427–1466
Harley 5698	Maimonides, Lisbon Mishneh Torah, vol. 1: Lisbon, 1471-1472
Harley 5699	Maimonides, Lisbon Mishneh Torah, vol. 2: Lisbon, 1471-1472
Harley 5709	Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi), Pentateuch: France, 14th century
Harley 5710	Bible with masorah magna and parva: Italy, 13th century
Harley 5711	Bible with masorah magna and parva: Italy, 13th century
Harley 5716	Jacob ben Asher, Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars): Italy, 1475
Harley 5717	Jacob ben Asher and Maimonides, Even ha-Ezer (The Stone of Help) and Hoshen Mishpat (The Breastplate of Judgement) of Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars): Italy, 1475
Harley 5773	Pentateuch ('London Catalan Pentateuch') with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century
Harley 5774	Prophets with masorah magna and parva: Castellon d'Ampurias, 1396
Harley 5775	Hagiographa with masorah magna and parva: Castellon d'Ampurias, 1396
Harley 7586A	Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim) in Samuel ibn Tibbon's translation: Italy, 1283
Harley 7586B	Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim) in Samuel ibn Tibbon's translation: Italy, 13th century
Harley 7621	Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary and Targum Onkelos : Italy, 15th century
King's 1	Bible ('King's Bible'): Catalonia, 14th century
Oriental 42	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah and the Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi rite ('Dragon's Head Mahzor'): Germany, 14th century
Oriental 1404	Haggadah with commentary and liturgical poems for Passover ('Brother Haggadah'): Catalonia, 14th century
Oriental 1424	Biblical readings and liturgical poems for Passover: Catalonia, 14th century
Oriental 1467	Fragment of the Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and masorah magna and parva: Persia, 11th-12th century
Oriental 1487	Abraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Iberian Peninsula or Italy, 15th century
Oriental 2091	Former and Latter Prophets and Hagiographa, with masorah magna and parva: Germany, 13th century
Oriental 2201	Bible with masorah ('First Ibn Merwas Bible'): Toledo, 1300
Oriental 2211	Saadia ben Joseph (Saadia gaon), The Latter Prophets: Yemen, 1475
Oriental 2348	Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 1469
Oriental 2363	Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and masorah magna and parva: Persia or Babylonia, 11th-12th century
Oriental 2365	Bible with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 14th century
Oriental 2373	A portion of the Hagiographa with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 13th century
Oriental 2396	Solomon ibn Gabirol and others, Miscellany of ethical texts: Italy, 1382
Oriental 2451	Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Persia, 1483
Oriental 2493	Portions from the Exodus with Arabic translation and commentary: Persia, Babylonia or Egypt, 14th century
Oriental 2540	Fragments from Exodus: Palestine or Egypt, 10th century
Oriental 2626	Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 1483
Oriental 2627	Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 15th century
Oriental 2628	Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 15th century
Oriental 2696	Pentateuch, Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot) and Haftarot with masorah and commentary: Germany, 14th century
Oriental 2733	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Franco-German rite: France, 14th century
Oriental 2736	Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Bertinoro, 1390
Oriental 2737	Haggadah for Passover ('Hispano-Moresque Haggadah'): Castile, c. 1300
Oriental 2884	Haggadah for Passover ('Sister Haggadah'): Barcelona, 14th century
Oriental 4227	Bible with masorah: France, 14th century

Oriental 5024	Decisions of Isaiah of Trani the Younger (Pisqei Rabbi Yeshayah Aharon): Italy, 1374
Oriental 5600	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, North African rite: North Africa, 15th century
Oriental 9879	Biblical fragments ('First Gaster Bible') with masorah magna and parva (sections from Psalms): Egypt, 10th century
Oriental 9880	Biblical fragments ('Second Gaster Bible') with masorah magna and parva (Fragments from the Pentateuch): Egypt, 11th or 12th century
Oriental 9900	Parts of the Scriptures (Ketuvim): Italy, 15th century
Oriental 10186	Prayer book with Haggadah and Pirqei Avot, Ashkenazi rite: Italy, 15th century
Oriental 10752	Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Oriental 11594	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for the whole year, Sephardic rite, with the commentary of Joseph Zaddik: Spain, 15th century
Oriental 11796	Series of calendrial and astronomical tables: France or Spain, 15th century
Oriental 11924	Prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Oriental 14061	Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim): Catalonia, 14th century
Sloane 3173	Haggadah for Passover with the commentaries of Isaac Abravanel ('Leipnik Haggadah'): Germany, 1740
Stowe 30	Prayers: England, 1578
Yates Thompson 31	Matfré Ermengau of Béziers, Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version): Catalonia, 14th century