Description

Published to celebrate the opening of the Library's new building in autumn 2022 in Jerusalem, designed by world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron

The library holds more than 5 million volumes of books, manuscripts, and periodicals, as well as archives, maps, music, ephemera, and photographs, and is dedicated to building comprehensive collections of Judaica and Israeliana, and world-class research collections in Islam & the Middle East and the Humanities

The Library's digital channels receive approximately 12 million visitors every year

This fascinating and inspirational new volume provides a thematic journey through the rich and diverse collections of the National Library of Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. Selected by the Library's curators and collections experts, this fine-art volume presents 100 of the most precious items in the Library's collections, from 5th century Babylonia to modern-day Tel Aviv, and shares illuminating stories and anecdotes about these significant works and the intriguing people behind them.

Highlights include Maimonides' autograph copy of his Commentary on the Mishna; the Damascus Crowns including a vitally important 10th century Hebrew Bible codex; theological ruminations of Isaac Newton; love poetry by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent; manuscripts from leading Jewish and Israeli writers, such as Martin Buber, Stefan Zweig, Franz Kafka, Naomi Shemer, and Shai Agnon; and rare materials documenting Israeli history.

High-quality photographs illustrate the stories, and the introduction sets these collections within their cultural and historical context.