After a long and complex historical journey, the three volumes of the Lisbon Mahzor, one of the most important Sephardic manuscripts of the 15th century, have finally been reunited at the National Library of Israel (NLI) in Jerusalem.
Produced in the last decade of the 15th century in Lisbon, the prayer book used during the High Holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is one of the few surviving testimonies of the rich Jewish life in Portugal before the forced conversion and expulsion of the Jews in 1496.
SEPARATION AND DISPERSAL
Originally created as a three-volume set, the Lisbon Mahzor was separated over the centuries. One of the volumes had already been identified and safeguarded in an institutional collection, but the other two remained missing for generations.
Recently, both reappeared at international auctions, sparking significant interest. Thanks to an initiative by the NLI, the volumes were acquired, once again completing the collection.
A LINK BETWEEN LISBON, ALEPPO AND JERUSALEM
The manuscript’s history mirrors the path of the Sephardic diaspora: preserved by Jewish communities, it passed through Lisbon, Aleppo (Syria) before reaching the Middle East, and was ultimately rescued permanently to Jerusalem.
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL VALUE
More than a religious object, the Lisbon Mahzor is considered an artistic and documentary masterpiece, richly illuminated and carrying unique features of medieval Portuguese liturgy. Its preservation and digitization by the National Library of Israel now ensure public access for researchers and descendants of the Sephardic community worldwide.
According to experts, the reunion of the three volumes represents not only a triumph of heritage preservation but also a symbolic act of historical reparation, returning one of its most significant treasures to Jewish memory.
