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 of Congress' 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?
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