BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE, MANUSCRIT HÉBREU 7

TEMPLE TRADITIONS. Following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, Jewish tradition came to believe that Torah reading and study could replace the offering of Temple sacrifices. Some medieval copies of the Hebrew Bible even evoked the memory of the Temple by including vivid imagery that directly associated Judaism’s holy book with the “Temple of God” (Mikdashyah). Probably the earliest example of this is found in the Perpignan Bible. Created in 1299, the parchment manuscript contains gold illumination of the Temple implements. This striking imagery is surrounded by texts that quote biblical passages describing the implements and expressing the hope that the Temple will soon be rebuilt.