Collection ID: 0021 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Hebrew Bible

Other related names

• Mordechai ben Jacob from Kastoria, former owner
• Johannes Vander Hagen, pastor of Amsterdam, former owner

Call number

Hebrew MS 36
(Manchester, United Kingdom, University of Manchester, University of Manchester Library, Hebrew Manuscripts)

Publisher

University of Manchester Library

Language

Hebrew

Origin

Place

France?
Spain?

Summary

Illuminated Hebrew Bible in Sephardi script. According to the catalogue of Bezalel Narkiss, the Bible contains French- and Italian-style decorations and should most likely be dated to the last quarter of the fifteenth century. The Bible contains Masorah Magna and Parva and Tiberian vocalisation and cantillation signs. It contains a reference to the year 1325 (i.e. 6 or 26 Tevet 5086), though the original function of that date is unclear. The Bible was once owned by a named Jew living in Kastoria in northern Greece. Later the Bible came into the possession of Johannes van der Hagen while he lived as a pastor in eighteenth-century Amsterdam. Having left a few notes in the codex, he mentions the date 26 april 1726.

Notes

• Various ownership notes in Hebrew on folios iia; 1a; 444a; 444b; 445a and 445b
   
• Running heads mention the relevant Bible book and (in case of the Pentateuch) parashah; the first word of each Bible book of the Pentateuch, the Prophets and Ruth has been gilded, with the exception of Numbers (folio 72a), where the blank space left for the gilded intial-word has remained unfilled; the first word of each parashah is written in a larger square script in the middle of a separate line; of the Twelve Prophets only Hosea has received a gilded initial-word, while the beginning of the other Minor Prophets and the Writings is marked by some blank space only; the order in which the megillot appear is Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther; the latter is entitled Achashverosh; there is only one heading for Ezra and Nehemiah (i.e. Ezra); with Tiberian vocalisation and cantillation signs; Masorah Magna and Parva in standard layout, at top, bottom and in between columns; Narkiss describes the manuscript under no. 49 as a "Manchester Franco-Spanish Bible"
   

Extent

Ii+445+i; 193 x 138 mm

Foliation

Double foliation at the top outer corner of side a of each folio, fully or partially cropped on multiple folios; the two errors in foliation (i.e. there is only one folio 28-29 and two folios are numbered 326) show that the Hebrew foliation was added first; Johannes van der Hagen might have added the Arabic numerals; both types of foliation are in ink

Support

Parchment

Binding

Brown leather binding with gold tooled letter R (of the Library) on boards, lettering on spine reading "BIBLIA HEBRAICA CUM MASORA MAG. ET PARV. CODEX VETUSTISSIMUS SUPRA MEMBRANIS" and gilded and decorated top, bottom and fore edges; signature of binder on back bottom turn-in: W. PRATT

Layout

The main text is in two columns (except for Psalms, Proverbs and Job) with 35 written lines; written dimensions: 118 x 84 mm

Decoration

Illuminated initials

Script

Sephardi square script

Provenance

• Mordechai ben Jacob from Kastoria; Johannes Vander Hagen, pastor of Amsterdam; acquired by Enriqueta Rylands and later bequeathed to The John Rylands Library.
   

Subjects topical

• Bible. Old Testament--Versions, Jewish
• Religion

Genres

• Manuscripts, European

Keywords

• Bible
• 14th century
• 15th century
• Jewish
• Sephardi
• Illumination
• France
• Spain

Licenses

• Text

  Images are ©2018 The University of Manchester Library Special Collections and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

• Text

  Metadata is ©2018 The University of Manchester Library Special Collections and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• Flyleaf 2a — Ownership note in Hebrew.
• Flyleaf 2b — Ownership notes in Hebrew and Latin.

Decorations

• Front cover — Gilded with the John Rylands Library crest
• 1a — Gilded initial-word בראשית on a blue painted panel with fine red painted concentric and floral motives in a gilded frame. The frame bar ends in a doe's head. On the left of the frame are painted flowers with gilded buds and black penwork tendrils.
• fol. 30v — Gilded initial-word ואלה.
• 55a — Gilded initial-word ויקרא.
• 96b — Gilded initial-word אלה.
• 119a — Gilded initial-word ויהי on a red painted panel with fine yellow and red painted concentral and floral motives in a gilded frame with a long bar. On the left of the frame are painted flowers in red and blue with gilded buds and black penwork tendrils.
• 134b — Blank initial-word ייהי (presumably this must be ויהי) on a gilded field with a painted blue frame and another gold frame with a long bar. On the right of the frame are two painted birds and painted flowers with gilded buds and black penwork tendrils.
• 149b — Gilded initial-word ויהי.
• 186b — Gilded initial-word והמלך.
• 223a — Gilded initial-word חזון.
• 246b — Gilded initial-word דברי.
• 276a — Gilded initial-word ויהי.
• 302a — Gilded initial-word דבר.
• 372b — Gilded initial-word ויהי.