A Glatt Kosher tour in Northern Italy, especially in the administrative region of Emiglia-Romagna, might be just the adventure that you’re looking for. It is rich in historical Jewish sites and the government is investing a lot in reviving the Jewish heritage of the region, turning the almost forgotten population into a well-known historical landmark. Among the unearthed relics of the region are three Hebrew manuscripts.
De Rossi Collection from Parma
The De Rossi Collection is one of the greatest and largest collections of Hebrew manuscripts and incunabula. It consisted of over 1,612 manuscripts that are shown and illuminated in the Palatine Library in Parma.
Hebrew Manuscripts from Book Binds in Modena
During the 1970’s, scholars found out that fragments used as book-binding material in the 16th and 17th century are actually Hebrew manuscripts and parchments. Over 8,000 fragments are found in Italy, with 4,800 fragments found on the Emilia-Romagna alone.
One of the biggest collections was found in Nonantola, a town near Modena, and consisted of biblical manuscripts, halachic texts, and sections of Mishnah, Talmud, kabbalah, and other scientific materials.
Modena’s Estense Library holds an archive of 60 illuminated Hebrew manuscripts while the Archivio Storico Comunale has 126 books that contain 273 fragments. Further discoveries found that over 350 sheets of Babylonian Talmud and fragments of Talmudic and biblical commentaries were located in the region.
The Oldest Complete Torah Scroll in Bologna
The oldest complete Torah scroll was discovered sitting at the University of Bologna last 2013. Just like other Torah scrolls, it contains the full texts of the five books of Moses in Hebrew. It was only recently discovered because in 1889, the cataloguer, Leonelle Modona, had dated the scroll to the 17th century.
Professor Mauro Perani, the one who discovered the 800-year old scroll, said that even without the carbon-dating, the clues found on the scroll says that it is made before the end of the 12th century. This is because Maimonides, one of the most famous rabbinical authorities in the medieval era, set a standard for copying Torah scrolls at the end of the 12th century, and the scroll showed that the copyist is not aware of the rules. This only meant two things; either the scroll was made before the death of Maimonides, or the copyist had not learned or known the rules.
Our history and culture still have a lot to offer, and still has a lot to discover. Who would even think of finding manuscript fragments in book bindings?
Well, if you are interested in our heritage, why not go on a Kosher river cruise in the future? Travel worry-free while immersing yourself in the beauty of our culture.
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