Abraham b. Isaac ha-Levi of Girona: poet and patron of the so-called Barcelona Haggadah, 1370–1393

Abstract

ABSTRACT With neither a colophon nor documentation of its commission, the so-called Barcelona Haggadah (British Library, Ms. Add. 14761) is often dated around the year 1340 on the basis of its artistic style. However, the manuscript includes the name of one individual who was alive at the time of its production: the poet Abraham b. Isaac ha-Levi. This article begins with his poem before reconstructing aspects of his biography and oeuvre to prove that the Haggadah could not have been made before 1360; more likely, it was created between 1370 and 1393 in Girona. The manuscript’s textual, iconographical, and codicological particularities suggest that the manuscript was commissioned by Abraham b. Isaac ha-Levi, leader of Girona’s Jewish community.