Iconography as a solution: the illuminations of the Rothschild Pentateuch book of genesis

Abstract

This study focuses on iconographic and comparative analyses of the illuminations of the Book of Genesis of the Rothschild Pentateuch (1295-1296), an illuminated Hebrew manuscript produced in Western Europe. The manuscript includes the five books of Moses (Pentateuch)- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy- and supplemental weekly readings with passages from the books of Judges and Prophets, along with philosophical commentary on the biblical text. The manuscript was written in Hebrew and Aramaic Onkelos, and presents a lavish illumination program along with figurative micrography that spans over 1,180 folios and 131 illuminations of initial word panels. The iconographic analysis revealed a relation between the biblical text and image. Four Genesis stories - Creation, Noah, Binding of Issac, and Joseph's Dreams- were compared with the illuminations of the same accounts of contemporary Hebrew and Latin manuscripts. The illuminations in the Book of Genesis incorporated the Romanesque and Gothic styles and were inspired by the imagery of 13th C bestiaries that cataloged fantastic and real animals with assigned moral-laden values. The images in the Book of Genesis of the Rothschild Pentateuch offered an allegorical interpretation of the biblical text, unlike the illuminations in other contemporary manuscripts that explicitly depicted the narratives. The iconographic and comparative analyses further suggest considerations about the identity of its patron, Joseph Martil ben Joseph, and illuminator (unknown). Its iconography presents innovative ways to depict anthropomorphic narratives through animals and demonstrates the influence of mainstream imagery and historical events in the illumination of the Rothschild Pentateuch.