September 30, 2005
The Vatican has lent rare Jewish manuscripts from its archives to the Israel Museum. A new exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem includes an illustrated manuscript of Cordoba scholar Moses ben-Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah in its original language Hebrew, on loan from the Vatican. Also on display from papal archives are Jacob ben-Asher’s Arba’ah Turim from 1435, as well as a complete Hebrew Bible code of laws and a book of Psalms, both produced in Rome in the 13th century, among the earliest such manuscripts in existence. “This is the first time in history these manuscripts have been on Israeli soil, representing a new level of cooperation and cultural exchange between the Holy See and the State of Israel,” Gary Krupp, president and founder of the Pave the Way Foundation, which brokered the loan, told JTA. “The future looks extremely promising for many other historic advances between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people.”