“Let Not the Parable be Lightly Esteemed in Your Eyes:” the Development of Visual Midrash in Band's Illuminated Manuscripts

• In Event: Interpretation: Translation and Illumination

Abstract

Hebrew manuscript illuminator Debra Band draws upon her love of both the manuscript arts and the Jewish textual tradition, resulting in a number of acclaimed Hebrew illuminated manuscripts. Her work is exhibited across the English-speaking world. She has developed complex visual midrash and will discuss the ongoing growth of her approach to creating artistic interpretation of biblical texts. She will begin with an overview of the development of visual midrash using examples from her works that span two decades, including three works in progress: Esther and Ezra/Nehemiah with Menachem Fisch, an inter religious Judeo-Christian dialogue approach to an anthology of Psalms with Susan Gillingham, and an inter-religious Jewish-Muslim dialogue approach to the Abraham tale with Shahid Alam. She will then explore one example of her method with a deep dive into her interpretation of Qohelet based on Menachem Fisch’s philosophical reading of the challenging biblical text.

References by Band cited: The Song of Songs: the Honeybee in the Garden (20005), I Will Wake the Dawn: Illuminated Psalms, with Arnold J. Band (2007), Arise! Arise! Deborah, Ruth and Hannah, with Arnold J. Band (2012), Kabbalat Shabbat: the Grand Unification, with Raymond P. Scheindlin (2016), Qohelet: Searching for a Life Worth Living (with Menachem Fisch, 2023), and Secrets of Creation: by Rabbi Meir ibn Gabbai (in publication, with Arthur Green and Howard Smith).

Authors

• Debra Band, Independent Scholar

• Menachem Fisch, Tel Aviv University