| During the Middle Ages, Hebrew manuscripts | | | | handed over to an artist if the painting was not to |
| adopted the illuminated format, popular in the | | | | be done by the scribe. If letters were to be |
| Christian world of the time. Contrary to popular | | | | illuminated, they would be painted before other |
| belief, art was not prohibited to medieval Jewry. | | | | artwork were added. |
| Unfortunately, no examples of early Middle Ages | | | | There were medieval recipe books which listed |
| decorated manuscripts have survived. | | | | ingredients to prepare different color pigments |
| The earliest dated decorated Hebrew manuscript | | | | and different formulae for applying gold leaf. |
| is a book of Prophets written in Tiberias, circa | | | | Medieval Hebrew manuscripts were often |
| 895 CE. However, illuminated Hebrew books and | | | | decorated. Aside from the prohibitions against the |
| manuscripts did not become widespread in Europe | | | | depiction of Ezekiel's vision of G-d's Chariot |
| until the thirteenth century. Parchment was the | | | | (Chagiga, Chapter 2) and G-d himself, artwork |
| writing material used at this time. | | | | was not forbidden. However, due to its distracting |
| The preparation of parchment is a complex and | | | | nature, some authorities condemned the practice. |
| expensive procedure. The most commonly used | | | | Ashkenazi Jews avoided representing the human |
| skins are from sheep, calves and goats. The | | | | form, and developed the custom of replacing the |
| skins are first washed in water to clean them. | | | | human head with that of a bird or other animal. |
| Next they are soaked in a solution of lime to | | | | Since Jewish artisans were forbidden to join the |
| loosen the hair, fats and proteins. The remaining | | | | craft guilds, not much is known about the Jewish |
| hair and fat are then scraped away with a knife. | | | | illuminators. Information about some of the scribes |
| The skins are then dried on frames (hoops were | | | | and illuminators were provided by colophons, |
| used in the Middle Ages) and scraped some more. | | | | notes at the end of a text or book. These |
| Finally the skin is rubbed with pumice or lime to | | | | appear in the form of microcalligraphy, or as a |
| make it smooth. The best parchment needs to | | | | zoomorphic or anthropomorphic letters. These |
| be process shortly after the animal is killed before | | | | were precursor to logos of today. |
| decay starts to set in. | | | | Microcalligraphy, is an Jewish art form that |
| Next the parchment was cut into sheets, which | | | | developed in the 9th century, but has it roots in |
| were then gathered and stitched into groups | | | | antiquity. Minute Hebrew letters are used to |
| called quires. The scribe writing the text ruled | | | | form designs. They can be very elaborate, |
| the pages and copied the text, leaving the areas | | | | incorporating entire books of Tanach. |
| to be painted blank. Then the quire would be | | | | |