The word “Mahzor,” means “cycle" and is familiar to most Jews as the term used for the prayer book for the High Holidays and festivals. However, in medieval times, the term Mahzor was used to refer to prayer books that contained the complete cycle of prayers for the entire year.

Copied in Esslingen, Germany, in 1290 by the scribe Kalonimos ben Yehudah, this mahzor contains prayers for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. It is the earliest dated Hebrew book from Germany. The manuscript is large, with pages measuring 18 x 14 inches. Its size tells us that it was designed for synagogue use by the prayer leader, likely placed on a stand at the center of the prayer hall as the prayers were intoned for the entire congregation. 

Originally one volume, it was later split in two. The first half, covering Rosh Hashanah through the morning of Yom Kippur, is in the collection of the JTS Library. The second half, from the additional service on Yom Kippur through Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah, is in Amsterdam (Rosenthaliana MS 609).  

At the start of the volume (in front of you), a fortified palace frames the words of a prayer praising God's strength. You will immediately notice that one Hebrew word—Melekh (King)—takes up a large portion of the page. It is surrounded by a palace that exudes strength, with towers containing arrow slits, lions, dragons, and eagles. The message is clear: God is King and the Divine King is powerful. A Jew sitting in the congregation, who was unlikely to have his or her own prayer book, would need to know only one word in order to understand this message, appropriate for the High Holidays when God is enthroned as King.