The illuminated Haggadah

Reflecting its Talmudic ancestry, this illuminated Haggadah contains Jewish stories and traditions, and is also a prayerbook made for use.

It tells the story of release from persecution and slavery into freedom and a new life.

It is as relevant today as when it was written, over 2000 years ago. The Exodux of the Children of Israel from Egypt is a pivotal event in the Bible, celebrated today in books, plays and films.

Each year, during the festival of Passover, Jewish families gather to remember the Exodus.

The evening meal, or Seder, is filled with biblical readings, symbolic foods to be eaten and songs to be sung.

The traditional patter of this meal is recorded in the Haggadah - literally, "story-telling". The book is decorated with illustrations taken from the British Library's collection of Medieval Haggadot, and the commentary makes the book accessible to all readers.