# Joel ben Simeon, the Washington Haggadah and the Ambivalent Feminine

The Talmud tells us “because of the merit of righteous women, our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt.” Thus women are often prominently featured in the illustrations of medieval haddagot — illuminated texts for the Seder, the home service for Passover. The Library’s magnificent Washington Haggadah, written and illuminated in 1478 by the well-known Jewish scribe and artist Joel ben Simeon, is no exception. The Washington Haggadah features five feminine figures. Who are these women and why do they appear in ambivalent contexts?

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2024
- Runtime: 1 h 14 min
- By: Epstein, Marc Michael
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/video-9968/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/video-9968?play=1)