NLI receives Rare 15th c. Manuscript – Lost French-Jewish intellectual stream revealed

During the late 13th and early 14th centuries, a vast complex of religious, cultural and social disputes known — the Maimonidean controversies – raged between Provence and Spain,  two of Europe’s most central Jewish communities. During this tumultuous period, the literary works of esteemed Provencal scholars were destroyed and generations of knowledge lost.

Today, the National Library of Israel is delighted to announce the addition of a one-of-a-kind manuscript to its renowned Judaica collection: Mezukak Shivatayim. This original manuscript serves as a testament to the intellectual prowess, spiritual depth, and cultural richness that once thrived within Provencal Jewry.