Appearance of Giant Bibles in Ashkenaz: Their Possible Usage and Functions

The change in size is an important indicator of the development of Hebrew Bibles in Ashkenaz during the thirteenth century. The corpus of extant giant Ashkenazi Bibles attests to the existence of wealthy patrons who commissioned their production. These manuscripts were important not only for the texts they included but also as status symbols, given their lavish decorations. It is possible to presume that patrons made requests about the size and style of the codices, thereby influencing the process of medieval Hebrew manuscript production.
In my paper I would like to demonstrate the change of Ashkenazi Bibles over a century: from early thirteenth until mid fourteenth century. I shall discuss the differences in their sizes, functions and decorations, as well as their methods of production. The increase in size between 135 mm × 116,3 mm of manuscript Or. Quart. 9, dated 1233, and 629 mm × 470 mm of codex Or. Fol. 1210-1211, produced in 1343 (both currently in Berlin), has implications for their production and their intended usage. It is obvious that the making of sizeable codices is more time-consuming and involves higher costs. While small books could easily be carried by their owners, perhaps to the synagogue or study house, large and heavy manuscripts put restrictions on their usage. Apart from influences that non-Jewish book culture may have had on the appearance of Jewish manuscripts, the increase in size of Hebrew Bibles also signals a shift in the prosperity and stability of medieval Ashkenazi communities.