A Haggadah is the script for the seder ritual on the first nights of Passover. The word means “telling,” and the seder is a ritual for the telling of the Passover story—the Exodus from Egypt—in a particular rabbinic fashion. 

This Haggadah was written by the great Italian scribe, Abraham Farissol (ca. 1451- ca. 1525), in 1515. Farissol performed many responsibilities in the Jewish communities of northern Italy, but he was particularly sought after as a scribe. Farissol’s style is clear and elegant, following forms that are easier to read and write than older scribal writing. This style is clearly influenced by the new “humanistic script,” invented in the early 15th century and used by Christian scribes for the writing of Latin. 

This page, heavily stained with wine from its use at seders, is the formal beginning of the “Maggid” (“telling”) section of the seder. It emphasizes, in the elaborate framed structure at the top, the “This” (of “this is the bread of affliction”) that begins the formula inviting those in need to join you at the seder. 

At the bottom of the page, you can see, on a parchment flap, a seder-table scene. What other table scene does this remind you of? If you answered Leonardo’s “Last Supper,” you are in good company (almost everyone who sees this scene has that association). The unknown artist who created this scene lived in northern Italy at precisely the same time that Leonardo’s masterpiece was being created in Milan (the 1490s). Whether direct or indirect, the influence of Leonardo’s style is evident in the Haggadah’s rendition. 

Look carefully at the way those at the seder are dressed. Again, there is nothing identifiably Jewish about their clothing. Typically, Jews have dressed just like their neighbors.