Kennicott Bible

Folio 305

The beginning of the Book of Jonah contains an exquisite illustration of the Prophet being swallowed (quite happily) by a large fish. Joseph may have been inspired to illustrate Jonah by the illustration in the Cervera Bible. Jonah being swallowed by a fish rather than by a whale or a sea monster accords with the Bible. Jonah had been an important figure in Jewish art since Antiquity, for he was regarded by the Jews as a forerunner of the Messiah, the man who would hunt Leviathan and bring it to Paradise for the righteous to feast upon. Joseph Ibn Hayyim the artist, chose to depict the ship with a brick pattern on the hull and the crow’s nest with spears in it, while a red dragon forms the figurehead. Ibn Hayyim’s ingenious use of space enabled him to include every detail without requiring the scribe to leave extra space. This leaf has been over trimmed and is offered at a reduced price.

Leaf is over-trimmed and on special offer
Leaf size is approximately 320 x 262mm (12.5 x 10in)