Fourteenth century bible comes home to Jerusalem
'Artistic masterpiece': manuscript by kabbalist Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon is now on display at the National Library of Israel
An elaborately decorated bible written more than 700 years ago is on display at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem.
The Shem Tov Bible was created in Spain by its namesake, Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon, a great scholar of Jewish law and mysticism and reflects a history of Kabbalah, Masorah (the tradition of biblical transmission) and Jewish art.
Following its completion in 1312, Ibn Gaon set out on a two-year journey, settling in Israel in 1315 until his death around 1330.
Photo credit: Ardon Bar-Hama
The manuscript changed hands but remained in the Middle East for several centuries. In the 17th century, it moved to North Africa where mystical powers were attributed to it, including being brought to women in childbirth to assure an easy labour.
In the early 20th century, the collector David Solomon Sassoon bought the Bible, and had it re-bound. In 1984, it was sold to the owners of a prominent European Judaica collection before being purchased by Swiss collector Jaqui Safra in 1994.
Three decades later, in 2024, the manuscript came up for auction at Sotheby’s. It was purchased by Terri and Andrew Herenstein, who have made it available, on long-term loan, to the National Library of Israel.
Sallai Meridor, the Library’s chairman, said: “Receiving this manuscript, especially at the time of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah, is profoundly significant. Having travelled from Spain to Jerusalem, Baghdad, Tripoli, London and Geneva, the Shem Tov Bible has come full circle and is now back home, returning to the very place where Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon lived and intended for it to be, in the land of Israel, and now in Jerusalem. We are grateful to the Herenstein family for turning what might otherwise have been a dream into a reality.”
Photo credit: NLI
The Herenstein family said: “The Shem Tov Bible stands as a unique cultural artifact, embodying the scholarship, calligraphic precision, and artistic excellence that characterized the best of medieval Jewish bookmaking.”
Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of the Library’s Haim and Hanna Solomon Judaica Collection added that the Shem Tov Bible, also known as the Sefer HaYashar, “represents the pinnacle of biblical and kabbalistic scholarship in the medieval period” and that a significant aspect of the manuscript is “its observance of the Sefer Tagei, a traditional guide outlining the scribal practices required for writing sacred texts.
“The surrounding notations reference earlier, now-lost documents, specifically the Hilleli Codex of 600 CE. The Shem Tov Bible thus allows modern scholars to study traditions that have all but vanished from the historical record.”
The National Library of Israel describes the Bible as “an artistic masterpiece”, complete with design features including gothic arches, birds and beasts, gilded frames surrounding biblical verses and illuminated marginal markers.
- The Shem Tov Bible went on display as part of the “A Treasury of Words” exhibition in the William Davidson Permanent Exhibition Gallery at the National Library of Israel, on May 8, 2025
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
