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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elegant initial 'R'(ethorica) München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 6250; Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae; soon after 810; Freising; f.27v

I'm preparing for a local talk tomorrow, & I'm delighted to be able to consult this digitised version of the manuscript in which my village appears for the first time in the surviving source material. [Noregs Riksarkiv, AM 329 fol., f.13v]

Elegant initial 'R'(ethorica) München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 6250; Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae; soon after 810; Freising; f.27v

We’re back today, with JS Mill (and as we’ll hear Harriet Taylor Mill) on the case for personal liberty and the limits of state interference. The presenter is Misha Glenny www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

🎧 Did you hear Prof. Helen McCabe (@drhmccabe.bsky.social) on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time show? Helen shared her expertise on John Stuart Mill and his work 'On Liberty' with host Misha Glenny. Listen back here ⏬ www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Applications for the 2027 Leo Baeck Institute Year Book Essay Prize in German-Jewish Studies close on 28 February 2026 For full details, competition rules, and instructions on how to submit your manuscript, please see: www.lbilondon.ac.uk/publications...

Bayeux Tapestry to be loaned to the British Museum #art #exchange www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Munby Fellowship in Bibliography based @theul.bsky.social in Cambridge - closes on 1 February, so still time to apply.

St Matthew the Evangelist and the beginning of his Gospel München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 17011; Carolingian Gospel Book; c.860; Freising; ff.36v-37r

Paradise at the feet of Christ München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 14159; Dialogus de laudibus sanctae crucis; c.1170-1180; Regensburg-Prüfening; f.5v

In Sweden, self-driving electric buses are transforming daily life in remote villages. These compact, driverless shuttles now connect smaller communities to nearby town centers, offering elderly residents a safe, free,and reliable way to stay mobile and independent #ElectricVehicles #PublicTransport

Far Side

Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and France will participate alongside Denmark to expanded military exercises in Greenland. Scoop with @victorjack.bsky.social and Chris Lunday www.politico.eu/article/denm...

Graffiti in hell

A lovely half-hour documentary on building and playing the organ at St. John's Abbey, MN: youtu.be/9J0QB9u3loc?...

“Excuse me, but the others sent me up here to ask you to please not roll around so much.”

"Tityre tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi" München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 305; Virgil, Carmina; 2nd quarter of 12th century; probably diocese of Freising; p.40

Baptism of Christ, with bonus sea creature München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Cod.slav. 4; Serbian Psalter (Srpski Psaltir), Psalterium cum Cantionario antiquâ linguâ Slavicâ; 14th century; probably Hilandar (Athos); p.301 (f.149r)

Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG... www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...

It’s 10 years since we made this on Common Sense by Thomas Paine www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b... (and since I first heard about the Schuyler Sisters lyric)

A happy Christmas is made of moments like this: Melvyn and Misha shaking hands in the Today studio. Thanks for listening in the past, present and future. We’re back on 15th January 🙂

In Our Time returns this week. Thanks for waiting patiently and/or impatiently www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Mark Twain was a vehement anti-imperialist, often wielding his "pen warmed up in Hell" against the imperialist warmongers of his day. "Patriotism... it is a word which always commemorates a robbery...."

The Holy Spirit teaches David to write the Psalter. München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Cod.slav. 4; Serbian Psalter (Srpski Psaltir), Psalterium cum Cantionario antiquâ linguâ Slavicâ; 14th century; probably Hilandar (Athos); p.18

In a world that includes Donald Trump, Bibi Netanyahu may be the most cynical man in politics.

Yesterday, Netanyahu joined Hungarian extremist PM Viktor Orbán's re-election launch via video, alongside German & Austrian far-right parties AfD & FPÖ, which are officially boycotted by Israel over their antisemitism www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Horrible. Arson attack today at Mississippi’s largest synagogue, on Shabbat, destroyed multiple Torahs and left parts of the building in ruins

Begnning of the text with a red decorative border München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Cod.graec. 314; Origen of Alexandria, original Greek sermons on the Psalms; 12th century; f.1r

“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