Blindness of the Jews; Gregory from BL YT 31, f. 131v

Miniature of a Jew holding an open book, while a devil distracts him from reading, representing the blindness of the Jews to the Christian fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning Aaron's rod; miniature of Gregory holding a scroll, in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour. Image taken from f. 131v of Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version). Written in Spanish (Catalan), with some Hebrew (ff. 131-134).

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.