The Hungarian government has for the first time offered the rare Maimonides Codex for public exhibition, following a request from the World Jewish Congress and the intervention of the Central Board of Hungarian Jews, the representa. tive body of Hungarian Jewry and the WJC affiliate here.
The Maimonides Codex is one of the most famous illustrated Hebrew manuscripts in existence. Currently part of the world renowned David Kaufman collection of the Budapest Army, the manuscript is of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah and is of Italian origin dating back to approximately 1482-1520.
A facsimile edition of some of the illuminated pages was published a few years ago in Hungarian and English versions by Dr. Alexander Scheiber, the late director of the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.
The Hungarian government granted permission for the Maimonides Codex to be exhibited under the auspices of UNESCO. At its last session, UNESCO adopted a resolution proposed by the WJC calling for formal commemoration this year of the 850th anniversary of the birth of Maimonides, the great Jewish philosopher, educator and physician.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
