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

Title

Commentary on the Pentateuch by Nachmanides

Authors

• Moshe ben Nahman, ca. 1195-ca. 1270 (http://viaf.org/viaf/219072992)

Other related names

• Crawford, James Ludovic Lindsay, Earl of, 1847-1913, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/9985420)

Call number

Hebrew MS 8
(Manchester, United Kingdom, University of Manchester, University of Manchester Library, Hebrew Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• Former: Crawford MS 8

Publisher

University of Manchester Library

Language

Hebrew

Origin

Place

Italy

Summary

An illuminated specimen of Nahmanides' commentary on the Pentateuch, most likely produced in fifteenth-century Italy. It has been suggested that the elaborate borders containing medallions showing animals, birds and putti were executed by the Florentine miniaturist Francesco d'Antonio del Cherico. Other scholars have suggested another Italian miniaturist, Mariano del Buono. The manuscript was censored by Giovanni Antonio Costanzi in 1769.

Notes

• Marginal corrections have been added by different hands throughout the manuscript. For examples of longer marginal notes see folios 62a, 75a, 83a. Censorship marks are found on folios 65b-66a, 67a, 92a, 173a, 198b, 200a-201a, 241b-242a.
   

Extent

256+i; 333 x 237 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the top outer corner of side a of each folio. Folio 255 has been cut vertically in half.

Collation

25V(250) + two single leaves (251-252) + 1II(256)

Support

Parchment

Catchwords

Catchwords used as quire signatures at the bottom left corner of side b of the last folio of each quinion.

Binding

Brown leather binding. On spine gold-tooling of flower motives in the fields created by the sewing strips. No tooling on front or back covers. Sewn on five strips of leather, inner spine exposed between folios 210-211, quires 22 and 23 loose. Text block edges decorated with red ink dots.

Layout

Long line of 44 written lines. Visible hard-point ruling, margins in double lines.

Decoration

The manuscript includes six illuminated pages: 1a; 2b; 70b; 128b; 173a; 211a. The artist's identity is unknown, although there is some debate on this. The manuscript was identified by R. Schilling as a valuable addition to the oeuvre of Francesco d'Antonio del Cherico, one of the foremost miniature painters of Florence in the second half of the fifteenth century. He had a large, select clientele including Cosimo and Lorenzo de Medici and some wealthy Jews. A. Garzelli and A.C. De la Mare, however, argue that this is certainly an early work by Mariano del Buono, made around 1465-1470.

Script

Italian semi-cursive script.

Provenance

• Acquired by Enriqueta Rylands in 1901 from James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford of Haigh Hall, and later bequeathed to the John Rylands Library.
   

Subjects topical

• Bible--Commentaries
• Religion
• Naḥmanides, approximately 1195-approximately 1270

Genres

• Manuscripts, European

Keywords

• Bible
• 15th century
• Jewish
• Italy
• Illumination
• Annotated

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of University of Manchester Library, Hebrew MS 8: Commentary on the Pentateuch by Nachmanides are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  Metadata is ©2017 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

• 65b — Censorship marks
• 66a — Censorship marks
• 67a — Censorship marks
• 70a — Beginning of Exodus
• 92a — Censorship marks
• 128b — Leviticus
• 173a — Book of Numbers
• 173a — Censorship marks
• 198b — Censorship marks
• 200a — Censorship marks
• 200b — Censorship marks
• 201a — Censorship marks
• 211a — Deuteronomy
• 241b — Censorship marks
• 242a — Censorship marks

Decorations

• 1a — Red and blue painted, gilt-bordered fields for the initial word in gilded letters (בשם). The margins of the page are filled with an elaborately decorated border which includes cherubs and animals on a background of red, blue, green and pink painted floral motifs, gilding and black penwork. Top of page: four cherubs pulling a grass floor. Left margin (from top to bottom): cherub and a peacock in gilded frame; a sitting doe; cherub with tambourine in gilded frame; centaur fighting a bear; face of a male figure; cherub with a flute in gilded frame. Bottom of page: painted depiction of a leopard and a lemon / orange tree in a round painted green gilt-bordered field. Around the depiction of the leopard are four cherubs (clockwise from upper right): cherub with owl; twice a cherub riding a hare; cherub and a bird. Right margin (bottom to top): cherub with triangle in gilded frame; two birds; flower in gilded frame; a bird and a hare; cherub climbing to pick fruit.
• 2b — Gilded initial-word בראשית in red and blue painted, gilt-bordered fields. Similar decorations in the margins. The margins of the page are filled with an elaborately decorated border which includes cherubs and animals on a background of white, interlaced branches with painted pink, blue and green compartments, gilding and black penwork. Top of page: cherub in a gilded frame in the middle and cherubs on his left and right side. Left margin (from top to bottom): cherub feeding a bird; flower in a gilded frame; cherub blowing a trumpet; cherub with drum in gilded frame. Bottom of page: a sitting leopard with a lemon / orange tree in a gilt-bordered laurel. On both sides of the leopard are three cherubs hanging a garland. Right margin (bottom to top): cherub blowing a flute in a gilded frame; two birds; a jar; cherub with doe and two birds; cherub holding an object (another instrument?); cherub with fox and bird; cherub with tambourine in a gilded frame.
• 70b — Initial-words written in black ink: סדר ואלה שמות. The margins of the page are filled with an elaborately decorated border which includes cherubs and animals on a background of blue, green and pink painted floral motifs. Top of page: yellow flower on green painted field with gilded frame; on its left side a doe and on its right side a hare. Left margin (from top to bottom): cherub and a doe in gilded frame; a bird; climbing cherub; vase; posing cherub in gilded frame; bird; drinking cherub in gilded frame. Bottom of page: in the centre a sitting leopard with a lemon / orange tree in a gilt-bordered laurel. Surrounding the frame are four cherubs. Right margin (from bottom to top): cherub in gilded frame (seen from the back); two standing cherubs blowing a trumpet; cherub standing on one leg in gilded frame; a vase with on its left side a cherub playing a violin, on its right side a cherub playing the cither; two birds; a cherub sitting on a bird in a gilded frame.
• 128b — Initial-words ספר ויקרא written on a blank field within a red painted and gilded frame. Initial-words סדר ויקרא written on a blank field within a red painted and gilded frame. The margins of the page are filled with an elaborately decorated border which includes cherubs and animals on a background of white interlaced branches with painted pink, blue and green compartments, gilding and black penwork. Top of page: yellow flower on green painted field and gilded frame in the middle; on its left side a cherub sitting on a fox and on its right side a cherub riding on a bear and holding a whip. Left margin (from top to bottom): cherub blowing a trumpet in gilded frame; cherub cuddling a hare; two birds; standing cherub holding a round gilt-bordered frame with the depiction of a hare; bird; cherub with dead hare on his back. Bottom of page: in the centre a sitting leopard with a lemon / orange tree in a gilt-bordered laurel. Surrounding the frame are four cherubs. Right margin (bottom to top): cherub holding a bird in a gilded frame; hare with a bird; two cherubs holding grapes; cherub playing with an animal in gilded frame; two birds sitting on the frame; cherub with fruit in his hand and a bear, he tries to ride the bear; two hares sit facing each other; cherub blowing a horn in a gilded frame.
• 173a — Initial-words ספר במדבר סיני in a pink painted gilt-bordered field with gilded floral decorations. Above the words is a depiction of a high priest in a gilt-bordered laurel, held by two cherubs. The margins of the page are filled with an elaborately decorated border that includes cherubs and animals on a background of white interlaced branches with painted pink, blue and green compartments, gilding and black penwork. The frame is decorated with pink, blue and green flowers, black penwork and gilding. Top of page: in the centre a flower on a painted green field in a gilded frame; on both sides a playing cherub. Left margin (from top to bottom): man holding a blank text scroll in a gilded frame; cherub and a bird; another cherub and bird, the cherub climbs down to two platters containing cakes or biscuits; sitting stag in gilded frame; cherub with a dog and peacock, he pours water in the dog's mouth; cherub and piglet; a vessel; a bird; monkey holding a coconut in a gilded frame. Bottom of page (from left to right): cherub with escaping hare; cherub with drum; leopard in a gilt-bordered laurel holding a lemon / orange tree; cherub with doe; cherub with tambourine. Right margin (from bottom to top): monkey with dog in gilded frame; climbing cherub trying to catch a hare; lion sitting in a gilt-bordered frame; cherub; bird; man holding a blank text scroll.
• 211a — Initial-words ספר אלה הדברים written on a blank field within a pink painted gilded frame. On the frame sit two cherubs, holding the depiction of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Horeb and bringing them down to the people, in a gilt-bordered laurel. The margins of the page are filled with an elaborately decorated border which includes cherubs and animals on a background of red, blue, green and pink painted floral motifs, gilding and black penwork. Top of page: a painted lion in a gilded frame; on both sides a bird. Left margin (top to bottom): two cherubs sitting; a standing cherub; leopard in a gilded frame; a cherub riding a goat; two birds. Bottom of page: leopard in a gilt-bordered laurel holding a lemon / orange tree; on both sides a cherub. Right margin (from bottom to top): a sitting doe; two cherubs stand facing each other, holding a flower; two birds facing each other; two rabbits in a gilded frame; two birds; a running hare.
• Inside back cover — Bookplate of Bibliotheca Lindesiana previously recorded, now missing.
• Spine — Gold-tooled lettering: "ARAMAN QAL ATTORA". Gold tooling of flower motives.
• Top edge — Decorated with red ink dots
• Foredge — Decorated with red ink dots
• Bottom edge — Decorated with red ink dots