Haggadah

In 1583, Mattetiah ben David Spagnolo, who had been scribe of the Jewish community in Crete from 1577 to 1579, completed this illuminated Haggadah for Leon ben Judah Bili. Greek (Romaniote/Byzantine) Jews had lived on the island of Crete since the Second Temple period; they were later joined by Ashkenazic Jews and exiles from the Iberian Peninsula. The name of the scribe indicates that he belonged to the latter group. The text of the Haggadah follows the Romaniote rite and contains several piyyutim (liturgical poems) known from Romaniote prayer books. However, the influence of other traditions is also evident: the letters are written in the Spanish style, while the illustrations reveal a northern Italian influence. Both seem to have been copied, for the most part, from the Chantilly Haggadah. In this image, the figure at the top right is pouring wine—which was apparently done by Sephardim during the recitation of “This is the bread of affliction . . .” (the text on this page)—and guests are seated at the seder table at the bottom. On the left are two young men, and on the right is a female figure seated at a table.