Manchester. The John Rylands Library, Gaster Hebrew MS 21
- Source
- Manchester Digital Collections
- Library
- The John Rylands Library
- Shelfmark
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- Gaster Hebrew MS 21
- Biblissima authority file
- Language
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- Yiddish
- Hebrew
- Latin
- German
- Title
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- Remedies and prescriptions
- Agent
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- Preferred form
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- Moses Gaster (1856-1939)
- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- Moses Gaster
- Gaster, Moses 1856-1939
- Biblissima portal
- Biblissima authority file
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- Description
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- Extent:
58 ff. (i+58+i) Leaf height: 195 mm, width: 150 mm.
Binding:
Modern black leather binding.
Decoration:
Several end of paragraph signs throughout the manuscript (see e.g. folios 15a and 16a).
Acquisition:
Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster in 1954.
Layout:
Different layout throughout the codex, with frequent indication of paragraph and subtitle, with occasional graphic line.
Collation:
Presence of catchwords on folios 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b, 27a, 28a, 28b, 40b, 41a, 41b, 46b, 48a, 49a, 50b, 52b.
Script:
Ashkenazi semi-cursive script, different hands (see e.g. folios 22b-29b, 43a).
Data Source(s):
Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri and Renate Smithuis.
Subject(s):
Medicine--Early works to 1800
Abstract:
Mostly Yiddish but also some Hebrew medical and magico-medical remedies and prescriptions. Between folios 1a and 57b there are approximately 312 texts, numbered in Hebrew 221-523 (רכא-תקכג). Some brief text in Latin characters, possibly in Latin and German.
Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals 1-57 at the top outer corner of side a of each folio (number 30 is duplicated). Somewhat inconsistent Hebrew numbering of paragraphs.
Format:
Codex
Material:
Paper
Provenance:
On front fly-leaf in black ink: "רפואות / וסגולות / והשבעות / Hebrew and German! / XVI cent. / of utmost importance and value. / M-G.".
On front paste-down: "copy of the jüddish part 968".
On folio 1a: "M. Gaster, No. 21"
On folio 57b: "57 fols. M G"
Handwritten label on spine reading in Hebrew: "21 / רפאות / סגולות / עברי / טייטש / [...]"
Condition:
Water and fire damage. Folio 1 has been repaired in the outer and top margins with modern paper. Several folios have been torn and are missing some parts: folios 29, 33-35, 37, 49-50. Missing: one folio between folios 29 and 30 and possibly one between 39 and 40 and two folios between 50 and 51.
Note(s):
Some text in Latin characters on folios 1a, 1b, 4b, 5a, 8a, 10a, 11a-b, 21a, 49b. Sporadic Tiberian vocalisation. Hebrew remedies are found on folios 12b-13b in a darker ink and perhaps a different hand; for the rest mostly in Yiddish with the occasional Hebrew word or phrase, most obviously קח (“take!”) at the beginning of some prescriptions.
- Extent:
- Rights
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