First encounter

Revealing and exploring Ms. Heb. 8°7087 from the National Library in Jerusalem

Abstract

The Bible’s manuscript Heb. 8°7087 Torah with Rashi’s commentary, in the National Library in Jerusalem, has yet to be extensively studied by scholars. The manuscript is comprised of two components: the written text, which includes the scripture and Rashi’s commentary; and the visual text, which includes illustrations and illuminations that are incorporated into the written text. This manuscript’s uniqueness lies in the combination of the written and visual texts, thus it should be examined and analyzed with that in mind. Moreover, it should be determined whether the visual texts serve as illustrations only, or if they offer new interpretations to the written text.