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

Title

Sefer madda' segulot

Other related names

• Gaster, Moses 1856-1939, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/12428346)
• Lattes, Salomon, former owner
• Abraham, David, former owner

Call number

Gaster Hebrew MS 444
(Manchester, United Kingdom, University of Manchester, University of Manchester Library, Hebrew Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• Former: Gaster 444

Publisher

University of Manchester Library

Language

Hebrew

Origin

Place

Italy

Summary

A self-help book entitled Handbook of Remedies or Sefer madda' segulot (מדע סגולות ספר) in two parts containing folk remedies and practical advice.

Notes

• Bottom edge of spine damaged, with exposure of endband
   
• Folios 45(2)-48(2) are also in Italian cursive script, but in a different hand
   
• Compare New York, JTS MS 2070 and Jerusalem, The Schocken Institute for Jewish Research MS 13318
   
• The terminus post quem is determined by the introduction on folio 1a, repeated on folio 1(2)a, which states that the text was produced in the year 1720
   

Extent

Iv+128+i; 224 x 160 mm

Foliation

Hebrew foliation at the top outer corner of side a of each folio; he original foliation goes from 1 [א] to 72 [עב] with 35 [לה] repeated and a blank unnumbered folio between 37 [לז] and 38 [לח], followed by 6 unfoliated folios (three of which are blank); restarts from 1 [א] to 44 [מד]; the second set of foliation is called here 1(2)-44(2); a modern hand added in pencil 45 [מ"ה] to 48 [מ"ח] at the end of the codex

Support

Paper

Binding

Brown leather binding with gold tooled frame and floral corner decorations; green bound ribbon bookmark; marbled paper bifolio used as pastedown and attached to first front and back fly-leaves; red coloured top, bottom and fore edges

Layout

Long line with a maximum of 24 written lines

Script

Italian cursive script

Provenance

• Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster, 1954.
   

Subjects topical

• Magic
• Jews-- Folklore
• Traditional medicine
• Amulets

Keywords

• 18th century
• Jewish
• Italian
• Illustration
• Italy
• Folklore
• Magic
• Science -- Medicine

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 3a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444. Title Page. Handwritten in black ink No.444.
• 1a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. Sefer madda' segulot ספר מדע סגולות Handbook of Remedies [ff.1a-71b].; incipit: Folio 1a mentions that the first part does not contain any references to divine names (שמות הקדש) or biblical verses (פסוקים), whereas the second part is replete with those. The items in the first part are numbered 1-1231 (א-תתתלא). Each item or group of items first mentions the aimed effect of the segulah or remedy (e.g. "to open a door without a key", "to see at night as well as during daytime", "to know whether one will succeed in business", etc.), after which the remedy or prescription follows. A summary of each goal, magical or otherwise, is mentioned in the left margin and / or in the form of a sub-heading. Each goal is then also mentioned in the Table of Contents relating to Part I. Whenever more than one prescription for the same goal is given, the additional ones are introduced with ע"א. The segulot can e.g. involve herbs or (parts of) animals. Some prescriptions end with the remark "tried and tested" (מנוסה).
• 6b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. [fol.6b]: The segulot to ensure a man only loves and sleeps with his wife.
• 10a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. [ff.10a-15a]: General sections relating to agriculture, the weather (including a brontological part), to "dangerous days" and to dream interpretation. Fol.10a Includes a quotation from Moses, ha-Darshan, active 11th century.
• 15b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. [ff.15b-21a]: Clusters of segulot as regards conception, child birth and childcare.
• 21b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. [ff.21b-58a] Section devoted to the treatment of illnesses, aches, injuries and other bodily discomforts, starting with a few folios relating to the female anatomy.
• 64a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. Fol. 64a Includes a reference to a Sephardic scribe Rabbi Eliyahu, of Mondovì. Eliyahu of Mondovì as a contemporary source of information, and references to Judah ben Samuel, approximately 1150-1217.
• Unnumbered i a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• Unnumbered i b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• Unnumbered ii a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• Unnumbered ii b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• Unnumbered iii a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• 1(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. [ff.1(2)a - 36(2)a] Handbook of Remedies part II.
• 4(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. Reference to Judah he-Hasid , a contemporary French scholar [folios 4[2]a, 28(2)a), 24(2)b)].
• 7(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. [fol.7(2)a] Amulet.
• 24(2)b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. Reference to Judah he-Hasid , a contemporary French scholar [folios 4[2]a, 28(2)a), 24(2)b)].
• 28(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. Reference to Judah he-Hasid , a contemporary French scholar [folios 4[2]a, 28(2)a), 24(2)b)].
• 34(2)b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/1. Fol 34(2)b; the scribe adds a note expressing his astonishment at the inclusion of the preceding passage in the book in view of its apparently "forbidden" contents.
• 37(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• 37(2)b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/2. [73a-75a 37(2)a-b] Tables of Contents. לוח חלק א לוח חלק ב The two Tables of Contents survey the contents of Parts I-II of the Handbook of Remedies respectively.
• 38(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/3. [fol.38(2)a - 44(2)a] Leqet shikhehah Gleanings of the Forgotten Sheaf לקט שכחה Collection of remedies for medical problems, not least those of women in relation to pregnancy, childbirth and so forth
• 44(2)b — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/4. [fol. 44(2)b]. Table of Contents לוח לקט שכחה The Table of Contents surveys the contents of the text Gleanings of the Forgotten Sheaf.
• 45(2)a — Gaster Hebrew MS 444/5. [ff.45(2)a - 48(2)b]. Madda' segulot מדע סגולות Knowledge of Remedies. Another collection of segulot (folk medicine, magic). Includes some amulets (קמיעות). Sporadic Tiberian vocalisation.; incipit: The text is preceded by the title which includes the name Sa'adia ha-LeviSa'adia ha-Levi and reads as follows in Hebrew: "מדע סגולות הועתק בס׳ כמהר׳׳ר סעדיה הלוי ז׳׳ל".

Decorations

• Flyleaf 1a — Handwritten in Hebrew an owner's name, David Abraham.
• Flyleaf 2a — Moses Gaster has used red ink to add his signature and the number 1720; also a Moses Gaster signature in black ink.
• Flyleaf 2a — Handwritten note in Italian and hebrew including an owner's name, Salomon Lattes.
• Flyleaf 3a — Title page: gate illustration in red, yellow and brown. The portal, constituted by two arches is supported by a large base with geometric motifs. Two twisted pillars support the bottom arch. Two other pillars in the foreground end in floral capitals. The gate is surrounded by a yellow frame. The title is written in the centre of the arcade and is followed by a text in smaller characters, most of which is scraped.
• 6b — The segulot to ensure a man only loves and sleeps with his wife is highlighted by means of an embellishment.
• 23b — Moses Gaster has used red ink to underline part of the text.
• 6(2)a — Magical signs.
• 7(2)a — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 16(2)a — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 16(2)b — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 20(2)b — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 21(2)a — Marginal design.
• 22(2)a — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 23(2)b — Star of David.
• 24(2)a — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 26(2)a — Magical signs.
• 27(2)b — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 28(2)a — Magical signs.
• 33(2)a — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 35(2)a — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 45(2)a — Numbered by Moses Gaster in red ink 1-57.
• 45(2)b — Magical squares and diagrams.
• 48(2)b — Moses Gaster has used red ink to add his signature.
• Flyleaf 1a — Handwritten in Hebrew an owner's name, David Abraham.