“Well, why don’t you come up here and make me turn it down … or do you just talk big, fella?”

Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) is marked by this design with a dog's head. #ParashahPictures BnF MS Hébreu 20. Bible (תנ"ך); 1301 CE; Tudèle (Spain); f.42r @gallicabnf.bsky.social

An initial-word panel with a head marks the beginning of Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא). #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 15423; Torah; Italy (Florence); 1441-1467 CE; f.38v

Two hybrids inhabit the initial-word panel at the beginning of Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא). #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 11639; 'The Northern French Miscellany'; 1277 CE-1324 CE; f.31r

In response to the freezing temperatures, SWEP has been activated to ensure those sleeping rough have shelter. If you’re worried about someone sleeping rough, notify StreetLink who can connect them with local services. One simple action can make a real difference. thestreetlink.org.uk

Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) is marked in 'The Kennicott Bible' by this golden and blue design. #ParashahPictures Bodleian Library, MS Kennicott 1; 1476 CE; La Coruña, Spain; f.38r @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Initial-word panel with bird and lion marks the beginning of Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא). #ParashahPictures BL Or 2696; Torah with Rash's commentary; 14th century; Germany; f.113v

The beginning of Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) is marked by this penwork and floral design. #ParashahPictures BL Oriental 2626; the 'Lisbon Bible' with masorah magna & parva; 1483 CE; Portugal, Central (Lisbon); f.64v

The beginning of Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) is marked by this design. #ParashahPictures BnF Hébreu 29; Bible; 15th century; f.45r @gallicabnf.bsky.social

Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) tells of the first seven plagues of Egypt: these representations of the plague of frogs are very lively. 🐸 #ParashahPictures BL Or 1404, f.4r; BL Or 2737, f.70v; BL Add 27210, f.12v; BL Oriental 2884, f.14r

Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) also tells of the next four plagues of wild beasts, murrain, boils, and hail. Just look at that vicious squirrel! #ParashahPictures BL Add 27210; the 'Golden Haggadah'; Spain, N. E.; 14th century; ff. 12v-13r

Torah portion Va'era (וָאֵרָא) tells of Aaron's rod turning into a serpent, & the first seven plagues of Egypt: here are the plagues of blood, frogs, & lice. #ParashahPictures BL Add 27210; the 'Golden Haggadah'; 14th c; Spain, N. E.; ff. 11r-11v

Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, surrounded by angels and with a golden dove of the Holy Spirit descending BL Add 49598; Benedictional of Æthelwold; 963-984 CE; England S; f.25r

The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan BL Egerton 1139; The 'Melisende Psalter'; between 1131 CE & 1143 CE; Eastern Mediterranean (Jerusalem); f.3v

The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan Staatsbibliothek Bamberg Msc.Lit. 1; Sacramentary; early 11th century; Fulda; f.30v

Initial 'I'(n) at the beginning of John's Gospel depicting Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, with two angels above and the dove descending BnF MS Latin 252; Biblia Latina - Novum Testamentum; 12th century (1171 CE-1180 CE); France (South West); f.65v @gallicabnf.bsky.social

The baptism of Jesus, and the three temptations of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 4453; 'Gospels of Otto III'; c.1000 CE; Reichenau; p.30

Due to its increasing toxicity, we are no longer posting on X.  You can find us on FB, Instagram, TikTok - and of course here on BlueSky, where we will continue to share news about the wall,  details of our events, and updates on the continually growing covid death toll. ❤️

The bear was trying to take possession of the honey reserves owned by the bees. The outcome was not good for the bear. BL Harley 3448; Flore de virtu e de costumi (Flowers of Virtue and of Custom); 15th century; Italy, N. (Padua?); f.10v

Bears, bees, and honey: an explosive mixture BnF MS Français 1877; The Book called Flower of Virtue, translated from Italian into French, by Françoys de Rohan, archbishop of Lion, primate of France and bishop of Angiers; 16th century; f.21v @gallicabnf.bsky.social

The murder of Renee Good by ICE has shocked the nation. The President is deploying his own personal armed thugs into the streets of America. In all my years, I've never seen anything like it. (ft. W. Kamau Bell)

Initial 'H'(abbiamo) at start of Bk 19 in which are discussed the nature & cultivation of flax & various garden plants. Bodleian Library Arch. G b.6; Historia naturale di Caio Plinio Secondo, tradocta di lingua latina per Christophoro Landino; 1476 CE; Venice; f.224r @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

We all need a laugh at the mo. Just don't let a cat see you laughing at it 😏

Our friends at the Early English Text Society are holding a workshop on editing texts from medieval Britain for graduate students and early career scholars. 📖Texts in Transition 📍St Hilda's College, Oxford 📆18/04/2026 🕐11am-5pm For registration email eets[at]ell.ox.ac.uk

"A Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred" Maria Corina Machado has no power to 'share' the Nobel Peace Prize with him. See this statement and stop giving credence to this nonsense. www.nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-...

Please note people of the US and the @washingtonpost.com : "A Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred." www.nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-...

Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, with four soldiers in front of Jerusalem München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek Clm 22053; Wessobrunn Prayer and other texts; before and around 814; Southern Germany, Diocese of Augsburg; f.3v

Madonna in Majesty with a model of the church. At her feet is the abbot, probably Konrad I (1218-25), who commissioned the book München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 17401(1; Scheyerer Book of Matins, Vol 1; c.1215 - 1230; Scheyern, Benedictine Abbey; p.53

In Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) Moses encounters the presence of God in the burning bush. Just look at the dog! #ParashahPictures BL Add 27210; the 'Golden Haggadah'; 14th century; Spain, N.E.; f.10v

Decorated initial-word panel at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) #ParashahPictures BL Add 15282; the 'Duke of Sussex's German Pentateuch'; 14th century; Germany; f.75v

Two dragons inhabit the initial-word panel at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת). #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 11639; 'The Northern French Miscellany'; 1277-1324; f.28v

Decorated initial-word panel at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) together with some micrography #ParashahPictures BL Add 19776; the 'Coburg Pentateuch'; 1390 CE-1396 CE; Germany, Central (Coburg); f.28v

Initial-word panel surrounded by a floral border inhabited by birds at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) #ParashahPictures BL Harley 7621; Torah with Rashi's commentary and Targum Onkelos; 1450 CE-1474 CE; Italy, N. E; f.76v

Here a strange hybrid with one head & two bodies hovers over the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת). #ParashahPictures BL Add 26878; Torah with Targum Onkelos & Rashi's commentary; France; 14th century; f.50v

The initial-word panel at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) is inhabited by dragons, birds, hybrids, and faces. #ParashahPictures BL Add 21160; 'the Yonah Pentateuch'; 13th century; Germany; f.63v

Initial-word panel at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) with penwork decoration and full foliate border #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 15283; Torah, Hafṭarot and Five Scrolls; 15th century; Portugal (Lisbon); f.48v

Initial-word panel inhabited by dragons, with a hybrid below, at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) #ParashahPictures Bodleian Library MS. Kennicott 3; Torah with Onkelos; 1299 CE; f.54(ii)r

An elegant initial-word panel begins Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת). #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 15251; Duke of Sussex's Italian Bible'; 1448-1498 CE; Italy NE (Ferrara); f.41v

The Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) begins a new book of the Torah as is clearly marked. #ParashahPictures BnF Hébreu 29; 15th century; f.43r @gallicabnf.bsky.social

Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) in the 'Lisbon Bible' begins with this word panel with exquisite penwork decoration. #ParashahPictures BL Oriental 2626; 'Lisbon Bible'; 1483 CE; Portugal, Central (Lisbon); f.61v

Initial-word with penwork and full floral border at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 27167; the 'Almanzi Pentateuch' with Hafṭarot and Five Scrolls; 1450 CE-1474 CE; Portugal (Lisbon); f.86r

Micrography marks the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) in the 'Harley Catalan Bible'. #ParashahPictures BL Harley MS 1528; The 'Harley Catalan Bible'; c.1350 CE; Spain, NE (Catalonia); f.36v

Initial-word panel decorated with penwork at the beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) #ParashahPictures BL Harley MS 5710; Bible, vol. 1.; 1275 CE-1299 CE; Italy (Rome or Bologna); f.34v

The beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) has a beautiful partial foliate border. #ParashahPictures BL Add MS 15423; Torah; 1441-1467 CE; Italy, Central (Florence); f.35v

Initial-word panel of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) with gold letters and white vine scrolls #ParashahPictures BL Or 2696; 1350-1399 CE; Germany, S; f.104v

The beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) is indicated by this initial-word panel with exquisite penwork decoration and two entwined dragons. #ParashahPictures BnF Hébreu 36; Bible. A.T. (hébreu); 1300 CE; Poligny (France); f.71v @gallicabnf.bsky.social

The beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) in the 'The Kennicott Bible' is surrounded by this design in gold with blue penwork. #ParashahPictures Bodleian Library, MS Kennicott 1; 'The Kennicott Bible'; 1476 CE; La Coruña, Spain; f.36r @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

In Torah Portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת ) the divine name is revealed to Moses. #ParashahPictures BL King's 1; the 'King's Bible'; Spain, N. E.(Solsona); 14th century (with later additions); f.2r

The beginning of Torah portion Shemot (שְׁמוֹת) is separated from the end of Torah portion Vayechi (וַיְחִי ) with a box of red and gold. #parashahpictures BnF MS Hébreu 20. Bible (תנ"ך); 1301 CE; Tudela (Spain); f.39v @gallicabnf.bsky.social

Thanks, @enniusredloeb.bsky.social! A good opportunity to mention this important book: Islamicate Celestial Globes: Their History, Construction, and Use by Emilie Savage-Smith. #histsci #astrohistory repository.si.edu/items/0d9cfc...