"When is a #dog in a #medieval illustrated #Hebrew #manuscript more than a dog? When it’s a testament to the undying dedication of #Jews to God’s law.
As the #art #historian #MarcMichaelEpstein details in his latest engaging analysis of #Jewish #artistic expression, “People of the Image: Jews and Art,” dogs appear in numerous artistically rendered Jewish texts accompanying passages related to #Moses. After all, #canines’ renowned loyalty was a natural representation of the “loyal transmission of the divine mandate from generation to generation.” And the Book of Numbers tells us that God believed Moses to be “the most loyal in My household.”
“#Manuscripts were expensive,” #Epstein reminds his readers. Every brushstroke cost time and money. Examining examples of medieval Jewish art, then, offers a window into the mentality of Jews at the time..."