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

Title

Composite Yemenite manuscript

Authors

• Zechariah ben Solomon-Rofe, active 15th century (http://viaf.org/viaf/19836689)

Call number

Gaster Hebrew MS 1380
(Manchester, United Kingdom, University of Manchester, University of Manchester Library, Hebrew Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• Former: Gaster 1380

Publisher

University of Manchester Library

Language

Judeo-Arabic; Hebrew

Origin

Place

Yemen

Summary

Composite Yemenite manuscript containing (1) two incomplete Judeo-Arabic fragments from the same unknown philosophical commentary on the Torah or from two similar such commentaries (folios 1a-32b/33a and 39a-40b) and (2) an incomplete Judeo-Arabic commentary on Songs of Songs (folios 33a-38b). The Torah commentary contains many quotations in Hebrew. The commentary on Song of Songs is preceded by a rhymed Hebrew prologue. Although the name is not stated, the latter was written by Zechariah ben Solomon ha-Rofe, a prolific Yemenite author from the fifteenth century. Zechariah might also be the author of the Torah commentary. However, the present text is unlike the ones he is known to have written (for the genre and information about the author see Y. Tzvi Langermann, Yemenite Midrash: Philosophical Commentaries on the Torah, HarperCollins Publishers, 1996). The commentary on Song of Songs was published by Rabbi Yosef Qafih in Ḥamesh Megillot in Jerusalem in 1962 and studied by Y. Tzvi Langermann in "Saving the Soul by Knowing the Soul: A Medieval Yemeni Interpretation of Song of Songs," Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 12 (2003), 147-166. In addition to the commentary on Song of Songs, a commentary on Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed is announced but not found in the manuscript (folio 33a: שרח עלי שיר השירים ואלדלאלה ). For a preliminary study relating to that as yet unpublished text see Y. Tzvi Langermann, "Sharh al-Dalala: A Commentary to Maimonides' Guide from Fourteenth Century Yemen," in Traditions of Maimonideanism, ed. Carlos Fraenkel (Leiden and Boston, 2009), pp. 155-176.

Notes

• The first fragment on folios 1a-32b (or up to 33a?) runs from the end of Parashat Bo (בא; Exodus 10:1-13:16) until the end of the Pentateuch. However, the headings and the situation with the catchwords suggest that there is not just text missing at the beginning and end of the fragment, but also at several points within the fragment. Examples: the text on 1a-10b from Bo to Ki Tissa (Exodus 10:1-34:35) suddenly seems to jump to the end of Tazria' (Leviticus 12:1) on folio 11a; Parashat Shlah (Numbers 13:1-15:41) is missing between folios 24 and 25 and several parashiyyot in Numbers and Deuteronomy are missing between folios 28 and 29. The second fragment on folios 39a-40b discusses Parashat Shemot (שמות; Exodus 1:1-6:1). It seems that the two fragments belong to the same text, even though they are written in different hands, but this is not certain. The commentary contains various stories which Moses Gaster lists on the typescript that accompanies the manuscript.
   
• Two types of paper: folios 1-38 and 39-40.
   
• Loose leaf typescript abstracts of stories contained in the manuscript, produced by Moses Gaster in July 1923.
   
• Folio 38 repaired with glassine paper.
   

Extent

Iii+40+iii; 265 x 194 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the top outer corner of side a of each folio.

Support

Paper

Binding

Modern black cloth binding. Paper fragment with subdivisions of tales attached to front paste-down.

Layout

Long line with 26 written lines; written area: 200 x 145 mm

Decoration

The initial words of this manuscript are made in red or black ink and delineated with red or black ink. There are also blank initial words with a colored outlining.

Script

Yemenite square script

Two hands (folio 1a-38b and 39a-40b)

Related resources

• Qafih Joseph, Hamesh megillot ... 'im peirushim 'attiqim, Jerusalem: Ha-Agudah le-Hasalat Ginzei Teiman, 1962. (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/924005421)
• Langermann Tzvi Y., "Saving the Soul by Knowing the Soul: A Medieval Yemeni Interpretation of Song of Songs," Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 12 (2003), 147-166. (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/356290235)
• Langermann Y. Tzvi, Yemenite Midrash: Philosophical Commentaries on the Torah, HarperCollins Publishers, 1996. (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38580278)
• Langermann Y. Tzvi, "Sharh al-Dalala: A Commentary to Maimonides' Guide from Fourteenth Century Yemen," in Traditions of Maimonideanism, ed. Carlos Fraenkel (Leiden and Boston, 2009), pp. 155-176. (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/313666405)

Genres

• Midrash
• Bible Commentaries
• Jewish philosophy--Early works to 1800

Keywords

• Commentary
• Philosophy
• Jewish
• Yemenite
• Yemen
• 17th century
• 18th century

Licenses

• Text

  Images are ©2018 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 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

• 1a — Gaster Hebrew MS 1380/1. Commentary on the Pentateuch (1a-33a, 39a-40b).
• 33a — Gaster Hebrew MS 1380/2. Commentary on Song of Songs and the Guide for the Perplexed (33a-38b). Written by Zechariah ben Solomon ha-Rofe.

Decorations

• Flyleaf 3b — Handwritten "1380" in blue pencil.
• 1b — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 3b — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 5a — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 7a — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 8a — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 9b — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 11a — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 12b — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 14a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 16b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 19a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 19b — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 21b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 22b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 24a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 25a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 26b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 27b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 28b — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 29a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 30a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 30b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 31a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 31a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 32a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 33a — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 33a — Small black ink fleur de lys motif next to initial word.
• 33b — Initial words with black outlining. The letters are alternately left blank and colored in light red.
• 34a — Initial word with black outlining colored in with light red ink.
• 34a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 34b — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 35a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 35b — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 36a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 36b — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 37a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 37b — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 38a — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• 38b — Text words that are written in black ink and are colored over or delineated with light red ink.
• Flyleaf 3b — Handwritten "1380" in blue pencil.