“Ghanaische Ordination Einwohner von Bagdad”

Title

“Ghanaische Ordination Einwohner von Bagdad”

Depiction of a colored miniature painting in the Persian-Islamic style. The illustration shows the "Shameful Tribute of the Ora Clan in Machabad." At the top, it depicts the Ghanaian Amir, and at the bottom, Ada Dad, who died in Dor, an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel – also mentioned in the Bible. The text is not entirely in Hebrew, but partially transliterated Arabic written in Hebrew script. This was common in Judeo-Arabic communities, particularly in medieval Yemen, Baghdad, or North Africa. It appears to be part of a manuscript-style religious or historical text – possibly a Torah commentary or Midrash in Arabic, likely produced within Jewish communities deeply embedded in Arabic-speaking cultures.

ca. 1500

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

Judeo-Arabic manuscripts emerged in Jewish communities during the Middle Ages, especially in regions such as Baghdad, Yemen, Egypt, and North Africa, where Arabic was the everyday language. The texts were usually written in Arabic, but using Hebrew script—a writing system known as Judeo-Arabic. These manuscripts covered religious, philosophical, and scientific topics, such as commentaries on the Torah, the works of Maimonides (Rambam), or medical treatises. Rare but especially valuable were manuscripts containing miniature illustrations. These images were often created in the Persian-Islamic style and depicted scenes from the Bible, Jewish history, or symbolic representations. They are a unique testament to the connection between Jewish and Islamic cultures—in language, art, and scholarship.