Random Luckiest Book In History Has Survived Three Genocides (10 items)

• 

  (#7) Hitler Was Rumored To Want To Create An Attraction With Artifacts Like The Haggadah

  When Sarajevo was being invaded, rumors existed of an Adolf Hitler plan to ransack Jewish synagogues and collect Jewish memorabilia so that after he obliterated the existence of Jewish people, he could build a caricature museum that Germans could visit to learn about the extinct race.

  As a result, Mr. Korkut, an anti-Fascist, convinced the Bosnian National Museum director to help him hide the Sarajevo Haggadah from the visiting commander.
• 

  (#6) It Made Its Way To Bosnia – Then Someone Came For It

  Its path is unclear, but over the three centuries following the Spanish Inquisition, the Sarajevo Haggadah found its way to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1942, when Nazi Germany invaded Sarajevo, the Bosnian National Museum had the Sarajevo Haggadah.

  The museum's chief librarian, Dervis Korkut, an Islamic scholar, heard that a German commander named General Johann Fortner intended to visit the Bosnian National Museum to speak with its director, and he knew that couldn't be good.
• 

  (#1) The Haggadah Is A Religious Text Used In The Jewish Faith During Passover

  The Haggadah is a sacred text that faithful Jewish believers use at their Passover Seder. It's read at the Seder table where celebrants review God's commandments. The Passover celebration is a recognition of the story of the Exodus in the Torah, when God sent Moses to free the Israelites from bondage; it was at this time that God provided Moses with the Ten Commandments. Strict adherents to the Jewish faith do not conduct any business, go to work, or go to school during the first two and last two days of Passover, which lasts for a total of seven days.

  It's no wonder that the Sarajevo Haggadah, with its incredibly detailed illuminations, is a deeply revered text.
• 

  (#5) A Latin Inscription Helped Save The Sarajevo Haggadah From Destruction During The Spanish Inquisition

  Before the Spanish Inquisition, Jewish people, Muslims, and Christians lived among each other without much turmoil. However, around 1478, Catholic monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile instigated an intense period of distrust among newly converted Christians and non-Christians in Spain.

  The goal of the Christian monarchy during the Spanish Inquisition was to weed out disingenuous Christians and remove heretics from Spain. As a result, a period of intense investigation ensued. Many books considered heretical to Christian sentiments got destroyed. Miraculously, the Sarajevo Haggadah survived the Spanish Inquisition when Jewish people escaped the tyranny and took it to Venice, Italy. There, Catholic authorities decided that it was not a heretical book, and it survived destruction. A Latin inscription on one of the last pages evidences the Catholic Church stamp of approval for the Sarajevo Haggadah, which aided in its survival.
• 

  (#4) The Sarajevo Haggadah Is Special, Not Only In Its Age But Also In Its Uniqueness From Contemporary Haggadah Books

  The Sarajevo Haggadah is a 14th-century book that inspires curiosity among art historians. Historians believe that the Sarajevo Haggadah originally came to be in Spain, at a time when Jewish people, Muslims, and Christians lived in a sort of harmony. However, the book, which is revered by believers and analyzed by historians, survived many centuries when the religious persecution of its faithful was rampant.

  The Sarajevo Haggadah, filled with religious-historical images, speaks to the traditions of the Jewish faith and its belief in eventual redemption through God. The Haggadah demonstrates how interpretations of scripture can change over time. For example, an art historian, Dr. Marc Michael Epstein, pointed out that the Sarajevo Haggadah has some interesting iconographic images, which do not comport with contemporary Haggadah books.
• 

  (#2) A Haggadah Provides The Ritual Steps In The Seder Meal

  The contents of the Haggadah outline the custom of the Passover Seder meal. Traditionally, celebrants begin with a blessing and by filling each other's cups with wine. This act represents the Jewish liberation from Egyptian rule. The Haggadah then guides celebrants through the remainder of their Seder meal, which includes washing their hands, partaking in the consumption of an appetizer, and breaking and sharing of the matzot, unleavened bread.

  The inclusion of unleavened bread represents the hurried nature with which the Israleites fled the Egyptians who enslaved them. After, and before the participants partake in their actual meal, the celebrants read the story of Passover from the Haggadah and discuss the tradition. The Haggadah text guides the contents of their discussion and analysis of the Jewish Exodus.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking