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

Title

Kiryat Sefer

Authors

• Meiri, Menahem ben Shelomo, 1249-1316 (http://viaf.org/viaf/17443506)

Other related names

• Lehren, Zevi Hirsch, 1784-1853, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/97995637)
• Coronel, Naḥman Nathan, 1810-1890, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/14651165)
• Gaster, Moses 1856-1939, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/12428346)

Call number

Gaster Hebrew MS 659
(Manchester, United Kingdom, University of Manchester, University of Manchester Library, Hebrew Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• Former: Gaster 659

Publisher

University of Manchester Library

Language

Hebrew

Origin

Place

Egypt

Summary

This is a halakhic manuscript guiding scribes through the technicalities of writing a copy of the Torah scroll by hand. The first item is Kiryat Sefer by Menahem ben Shelomoh Meiri. It is incomplete, running up to and including ma'amar 4, helek 3 (folios 1a-41a). Curiously, while ma'amar 5 is missing, there follow two parts which might as well have been written by Meiri, since they form an organic whole with the preceding text. Item two (folios 42a-53a) offers an alphabetical overview of biblical words with their full or defective spelling. Item three (folios 57a-147b) deals with the issue of the correct spacing (setumot and petuhot) in relation to the text of the entire Pentateuch. The manuscript was copied by Raphael ben Joseph in Egypt in 1673/1674 CE (5433 AM). Moses Gaster wondered whether the scribe might be identified with Shabbetai Zevi's (1626-1676) supporter Raphael Joseph of Aleppo who used to live in Cairo.

Notes

• Marginal notes by different hands: Hand 1 (that of the scribe): folios 4b, 10b, 11b, 12b, 16b, 58b, 61a, 63b, 64a, 65a, 88b, 96a, 97a, 99a, 100b; Hand 2: title page (sale note), 99a, 103a; paper has horizontal single chain lines (22.5-23.5 mm apart)
   
• Initial words in Sephardi square script
   

Watermark

Watermark AD on folios 125 and 126; folio 99 has a six-angled star cum crescent; folio 128 has a crown; folios interleaved with blank modern paper leaves without visible lines or watermarks

Extent

Ii+147+ii; 201 x 140 mm

Foliation

Hebrew foliation at the top outer corner of side a of each folio; title page unnumbered, folios 55 and 98 skipped by mistake, two folios numbered 73 by mistake; quire signature in pencil in Arabic numerals at the bottom left corner of side a of the first folio (modern hand)

Support

Paper

Binding

Light brown leather with blind-tooled flower decoration on spine and around the borders of the boards; marbled paste-downs and marbled paper edges all round; blue silk bookmark

Layout

Long line with 25 lines; no visible ruling; frequent rubrication into paragraphs; written dimensions: 150 x 99 mm

Decoration

Title page: Gate drawing built up with many small pen strokes; shaped like a neoclassical temple with a tympan showing a large vase in its centre and two vases on top; columns with penwork imitating marble and stone, capitals and floral motifs

Script

Sephardi semi-cursive hand

Sephardi square hand

Colophon

ז"ל / והועתק פה מצרים ע"י סופר מהר בקי ?במלאת / הספרות במצות השר המאושר קדוש [...] רפאל ב"ר יוסף נר"ו / בשנת כל הכתוב לחיים / ליצירה ספר / קרית ספר / חברו הרב הכולל כמהר מנחם / הלבי לבית מאיר

Provenance

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

Subjects topical

• Jewish law
• Masorah
• Torah scrolls
• Scribes, Jewish Handbooks, manuals, etc

Keywords

• 17th century
• Jewish
• Sephardi
• Colophon
• Egypt
• Legal
• Theology
• Torah
• Scribal manual
• Halakhah

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

• Unnumbered a — Title page, with sale note by Hand 2
• 1a — Kiryat Sefer by Menahem ben Shelomoh Meiri (folios 1a-41a).
• 4b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 10b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 11b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 12b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 16b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 42a — Alphabetic overview of biblical words (foios 42a-53a)
• 57a — Correct spacing in the Pentateuch (folios 57a-147b)
• 58b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 61a — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 63b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 64a — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 65a — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 88b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 96a — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 97a — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 99a — Marginal notes by Hands 1 and 2
• 100b — Marginal note by Hand 1
• 103a — Marginal note by Hand 2