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. 

The table scene on this page provides a window into Jewish life in northern Italy at the time this Haggadah was made. Men, women, and children, all dressed in typical contemporary dress, sit together at the seder ritual. Again, there is nothing identifiably Jewish about their clothing. Typically, Jews have dressed just like their neighbors. 

From this depiction, we also learn something about contemporary eating “technologies” (bowls are primary, plates mostly for serving, knives essential but no other eating utensils). We should also note the cat and dog by the table, waiting for table scraps. Domestic pets were evidently at home in comfortable households.