Visual Kabbalah in the Bodleian Library

In this lecture, J. H. Chajes explores the visual culture of Jewish mysticism through the study of ilanot (kabbalistic trees) preserved in the Bodleian Libraries. He argues that Kabbalah functioned not only as a textual tradition but as a sophisticated visual system, utilizing large-scale parchment scrolls to map the "total cosmological picture" of the divine realm. By examining landmark manuscripts like the 15th-century "Magnificent Parchment," Chajes highlights how these artifacts synthesized complex metaphysical lore into an integrated iconotextual framework. The discussion further details the evolution toward Lurianic Kabbalah, where increasingly intricate diagrams became essential for visualizing the nested hierarchies of theosophical systems. Chajes suggests these diagrams served simultaneously as pedagogical tools and aids to contemplative practice, reflecting a specialized genre of "cosmological cartography." Ultimately, the lecture calls for greater scholarly attention to the material and diagrammatic dimensions of kabbalistic knowledge through initiatives like the digital Ilanot Project.

Prof. J. H. (Yossi) Chajes's lecture was delivered at the international event, "500 Years of Hebrew Teaching, Studies and Collecting at Christ Church" held on Monday, 24 October 2022 Christ Church, Sir Michael Dummett Lecture Theatre.