Luminous: A thousand years of Hebrew manuscripts

Luminous: A thousand years of Hebrew manuscripts explored one of the world’s oldest cultures in a shining exhibition of rare and important Hebrew manuscripts drawn from the British Library, State Library Victoria and local collections.

Luminous explored the significance of the written word as a foundation for contemporary Jewish practice, showing ancient manuscripts as part of a dynamic and diverse living culture.

Spanning a millennium of history, Luminous illustrated the beauty and importance of Hebrew texts through items about Jewish life, culture, science, religion, philosophy, music and magic.

The exhibition provided access to rare and significant manuscripts that explored the significance of the written word as a foundation of Jewish culture and tradition, centring the lived experience of Australian Jews here and now.

The exhibition was held in the Keith Murdoch Gallery from 17 October 2023 to 14 April 2024.

• Luminous was a State Library Victoria and British Library exhibition
• Explore the exhibition website
• See all past exhibitions