Manchester. The John Rylands Library, Gaster Hebrew MS 713
- Source
- Manchester Digital Collections
- Library
- The John Rylands Library
- Shelfmark
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- Gaster Hebrew MS 713
- Biblissima authority file
- Language
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- Hebrew
- Title
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- ספר מאירת עינים (Meirat Enayim)
- Agent
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- Preferred form
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- Isaac ben Samuel
- Role
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- Author
- Original form
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- Isaac ben Samuel, of Acre
- יצחק בן שמואל מעכו
- Isaac ben Samuel of Acre
- Other form
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- Isaac ben Samuel de Saint Jean d'Acre
- Biblissima portal
- Biblissima authority file
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- Preferred form
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- Rabbi David
- Role
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- Patron
- Original form
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- Rabbi David
- ר׳ דוד
- Biblissima authority file
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- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- רפאל עזריאל כהן
- Rafael Azriel Kohen
- Kohen, Rafael Azriel
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- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- ?ביאציוינוטה [...] אלמנת [...] זכרי' איש ריויר’
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- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- יצחק לוונשו ישראל
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- Role
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- Other
- Original form
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- גבריאל איש בכ"ר משלם קפמן ז"ל מקסאל ?מאור
- Gabriel son of Meshullam [...] of ?Casalmaggiore
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- Role
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- Other
- Original form
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- משה יצ"ו בכ"ר מנחם מריוירי זצ"ל
- Moses son of Menahem of Revere
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- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- משה ביטון
- Moses Biton
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- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- אברהם ?מגאמאראנא
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- Role
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- Other
- Original form
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- ?ברכיה אהרן [...]
- Berakhia Aaron
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- Preferred form
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- Domenico Gerosolimitano (155.-1622)
- Role
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- Censor
- Original form
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- Domenico Hierosolimitano c. 1552-1622
- Domenico Ierosolomitano
- Biblissima authority file
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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:
174 ff. (ii+174+vi) Leaf height: 327 mm, width: 232 mm.
Binding:
Wooden boards originally partly covered with leather attached with nails, now missing. Carving and holes for locks now missing. Sewn on three slit-double tapes. Spine exposed.
Decoration:
Folios ib-iia, 58a and 80a: Diagrams with sefirot.
Folios 78b and 126a: Diagrams.
Folio 107a: Manicula in ink.
Acquisition:
Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster in 1954.
Layout:
Long line of 29 lines.
Collation:
1I (ii) + 4VIII (64) + 1VII (78) + 6VIII (174) + 1IV-1 (viii)Inconsistent catchwords on side b of folios. Catchword and text do not match up from folios 33 to 34, 46 to 47 and 150 to 151.
Script:
Sephardi semi-cursive script.
Data Source(s):
Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri and Renate Smithuis.
Subject(s):
Cabala; Mysticism; Mysticism Judaism; Bible Commentaries; Naḥmanides, approximately 1195-approximately 1270
Abstract:
Meirat Enayim by Isaac ben Samuel of Acre. Kabbalistic supercommentary on Nahmanides' Commentary on the Torah copied for a certain Rabbi David in Revere in the Po Valley near Mantua. The title of the work most likely refers to the last words of Psalm 19.9 ("enlightening the eyes"): "The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Two brief deeds of sale on folio 174b dated 1515 and 1537 and several ownership notes on folio 1a in the manuscript confirm that it was sold multiple times, among which at least once or twice locally in view of references to Revere and (probably) Casalmaggiore. Censor Domenico Ierosolomitano signed the manuscript in 1598.
Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals every 5 pages at the top outer corner.
Format:
Codex
Material:
Paper
Provenance:
Three labels on spine. The first one consisting of 3 lines in Hebrew reads "ספר / מאירת עינים / כ"י". The second one reads "713". The third one is blank. Postal stamp on front board reading "713 / 153/11".
Folio ia: Handwritten note in ink reading "M. Gaster / 713".
Folio 1a: Handwritten note in ink reading "No. 713 / M. Gaster". Several ownership notes in Hebrew, some of which have been erased. If deciphered correctly, one includes the name of former owner Rafael Azriel Kohen.
Folio 174b: Two ownership notes in Hebrew. The first one mentions the name of the widow of ?Zachariah of Revere?ביאציוינוטה [...] אלמנת [...] זכרי' איש ריויר’ who sold the manuscript of her late husband in 1515 to Isaac ?Lovanso Israel יצחק לוונשו ישראל. Two witnesses sign this deed: גבריאל איש בכ"ר משלם קפמן ז"ל מקסאל ?מאור and משה יצ"ו בכ"ר מנחם מריוירי זצ"ל .
The second one mentions the name of משה ביטון who bought the manuscript from a certain Abraham אברהם ?מגאמאראנא in October 1537. This deed was signed by the witness ?ברכיה אהרן [...].
Folio 174b censor's signature: Domenico Ierosolomitano for the year 1598.
Condition:
Binding damaged. Sewing fragile towards the sides of the text block. Some stains.
Additions:
Folios ib-iia: Additions in different hands, including pen and ink drawing of the sefirot.Some marginal additions in later hands.
Excerpts:
Colophon: Folio 174b:נשלם בריווירי לנבון ונכבד / ר׳ דוד יצ"ו ה׳ יזכהו להגות בו וליוצאי ירכו אמן ואמן הסופר לא יוזק עד שיעלה / חמור בסולם שיעקב אבינו חלם אודה לה׳ ?שזיכני להשלימו כן ?יזכני לעשות / ספרים לאין קץ לעבודתו אמן
Accompanying Material:
Certificate of Issue of a Money Order dated 07 July 1928, payable in Würzburg, Germany.
Two small paper fragments with texts in Hebrew.
- Extent:
- Rights
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