Manchester. The John Rylands Library, Hebrew MS 29
- Source
- Manchester Digital Collections
- Library
- The John Rylands Library
- Shelfmark
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- Hebrew MS 29
- Biblissima authority file
- Language
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- Hebrew
- Title
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- Haggadah (הגדה של פסח)
- Agent
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- Preferred form
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- William Henry Black (1808-1872)
- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- Black, William Henry, 1808-1872
- W.H. Black
- Biblissima authority file
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- Preferred form
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- Enriqueta Augustina Rylands (1843-1908)
- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- Enriqueta Rylands
- Biblissima authority file
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- Preferred form
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- James Ludovic Lindsay (comte de Crawford, 1847-1913)
- Role
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- Former owner
- Original form
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- James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford of Haigh Hall
- Crawford, James Ludovic Lindsay, Earl of, 1847-1913
- Other form
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- Lindsay, James Ludovic, Earl (1847-1913)
- James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
- Lindsay, James Ludovic (1847-1913)
- James Ludovic Lindsay (b. 1847, d. 1913), peer and collector
- James Ludovic Lindsay (b. 1847, d. 1913), 26th Earl of Crawford
- Lindsay, James Ludovic, 1847-1913
- James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford, 1847-1913
- James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford 1847-1913
- James Ludovic Lindsay, 1847-1913, 26th Earl of Crawford
- James Ludovic Lindsay 1847-1913, 26th Earl of Crawford
- Lindsay, James Ludovic, 1847-1913, 26th Earl of Crawford
- see more
- Biblissima portal
- Biblissima authority file
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- Description
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- Extent:
16 ff. (ix+16+vii) Leaf height: 189 mm, width: 155 mm. Written height: 132 mm, width: 94 mm.
Binding:
Black leather binding with ornamental blind tooling on bords and gold lettering on spine reading "RITUS PASCHALES HEBRAICE. CODEX XXIX. SAEC. X.". On the back paste-down "Fazakerley Liverpool".
Decoration:
The decoration (fully listed below) can be subdivided into two types:
1. Painted initial-word panels.
2. Marginal painted geometrical or floral decoration.
Folio 1b: Black initial-word שפוך with small red dots on a red painted panel with small black dots. Its four corners are shaped like four red leaves. The panel is surrounded by a black ink frame. In the right margin stands a lady; her figure can barely be distinguished because the decoration is very badly damaged.
Folio 2a: Black initial-word לא with small red dots on a red painted panel with small black dots. Its four corners are shaped like four red leaves. The panel is surrounded by a black frame.
Folio 2b: Red tetragrammaton with small black dots and framed by fine black painted motifs on a purple panel with red dots. The panel has four decorated corners and is surrounded by a red frame. In the right margin are a black and red decorative bar across the whole length of the page; in the left margin a red bar.
Folio 3a: Black initial-word אהבתי with small red dots on a red painted panel with small black dots. The four corners of the field are shaped like four red leaves. The panel is surrounded by a black frame.
Folio 3b: Red initial-word מה with small black dots framed by black fine painted motives on a painted purple panel with small red dots. A red frame with four decorative corners surrounds the panel.
Folio 4a: Black initial-word הודו with small red dots framed by black fine painted motifs with leaves on a red painted panel with black dots. Its four corners are shaped like four red leaves. The panel is surrounded by a black frame. In the right margin is a black decorative bar across the whole length of the page; in the left margin a black and a red bar.
Folio 4b: Red initial-word מן with small black dots framed by black fine painted motives on a painted purple panel with small red dots and decorative corners. A red frame surrounds the field.
Folio 5b: Black initial-word ברוך with small red dots framed by black fine painted motifs on a red painted panel with black dots. Its four corners are shaped like red leaves. The panel is surrounded by a black frame. In the right margin are a black and red decorative bar across the whole length of the page; in the left margin a red bar. In the right margin the (damaged) painting of a cup and above it a grotesque figure resembling a snowman.
Folio 6a: Red initial-word פסח with small golden dots framed by black fine motifs on a painted purple field with small golden dots. A red frame with four decorated corners surrounds the panel. In the right margin stands the painted figure of a lady (head covered and possibly holding a fan in her left hand) with a glass of wine in her right hand. At the bottom of the page black initial-word פסח with small red dots framed by black fine motives on a red painted panel with golden dots. A red frame with four leaf-shaped corners surrounds the panel.
Folio 6b: Bottom and top of the page: red painted initial-words פסח with small back dots framed by fine black leaf motifs on a purple painted panel with small red dots and leaf-shaped corners. The panel has a red frame; for the upper panel it is black and red. Centre: green initial-word פסח with small red dots framed by red fine leaf-shaped motifs on a red painted panel with small black dots and leaf-shaped corners. Surrounded by a red frame. In the right margin is a red decorative bar across the whole length of the page; in the left margin a red and partly black bar.
Folio 7a: Green initial-word פסח with small red dots framed by black fine leaf-shaped motifs on a red painted panel with small black dots and leaf-shaped corners, surrounded by a red frame; red painted initial-words פסח with small back dots framed by fine black leaf motifs on a purple painted panel with small red dots and leaf-shaped corners. The panel has a red frame. In the left margin is a red decorative bar across the whole length of the page; two smaller black bars can be seen below both the right and left text border.
Folio 7b: Bottom and top of the page: black painted initial-words פסח with small red dots framed by fine black leaf motifs on a red painted panel with small black dots and leaf-shaped corners. Centre: red painted initial-word פסח with small black dots framed by fine black leaf motifs on a dark yellow painted panel with small red dots and black motifs. Surrounded by a rippling black frame. In the right margin is a black decorative bar across the whole length of the page. At the bottom of the page are two painted birds eating from a plant.
Folio 8a: Top: red painted initial-word פסח on a blank space within a blue painted panel with red dots. Red leaf motifs in the four corners. Centre: black painted initial-word פסח in a blank panel shaped like an animal, presumably an elephant because of its proboscis. The animal is made of red lines. Within the animal, the star of David can be seen on the left of the initial-word; a wheel is depicted on the right of the initial-word. Bottom: red painted initial-word פסח on a blank panel with ring flowers sprouting from its corners.
Folio 8b: Top: blue painted initial-word מבית on a blank panel with a colourful decorated frame. Its corners are leaf-shaped and it is painted in the colours red, yellow and blue. Centre: red painted initial-word מבית on a grotesque figure as panel. The figure has an animal body and a human head; it is painted in the colours yellow, red, purple and blue. Bottom: blue painted initial-word מבית without a panel. On its left is the painted depiction of a bearded merman. On the right a grotesque animal figure. In the bottom left corner of the page is the word קומי written in a very small size surrounded by red motifs.
Folio 9a: Twice the initial-word מבית in a panel with a colourfully decorated frame. The top word is in red paint with black dots and a yellow background; the bottom word is in blue paint with red dots and a red background. Both panels have leaf-motifs and rope motifs. The frames are divided in small square compartments painted in the colours red, blue, yellow and green. The frames are surrounded by another outer frame of dots and lines. In the left margin is a vertical band across the length of the page with red heart-shaped motifs. In the right margin, across the length of the page, is a red bar shaped like a branch.
Folio 9b: Three times the initial-word מבית in a panel with a colourfully decorated frame. The upper and bottom initial-words are made in red paint with blue dots and with a yellow background. The centre word is made in blue paint with red dots and a red background with blue dots. The frames have blank rope motifs and the frames are divided in small square compartments painted in the colours red, blue, yellow and green. The frames are surrounded by another outer frame of dots and lines. In the left and right margin, across the length of the page, are two red bars shaped like branches.
Folio 10a: Three times the initial-word מבית in a panel with a colourfully decorated frame. The upper and bottom initial-words are made in blue paint with red dots and with a red background. The centre words are made in red paint with yellow dots and a yellow background. The frames have blank rope motifs and the frames are divided in small square compartments painted in the colours red, blue, yellow and green. The frames are surrounded by another outer frame of dots and lines. In the right margin is a red bar across the length of the page shaped like branches. In the left margin is another full-length vertical bar with heart-shaped motives.
Folio 10b: Three times the initial-word מבית: the upper and bottom initial-words are red painted and the one in the centre is blue painted. The upper one also has a crudely finished panel with orange lines.
Folio 11a: Top: blue painted initial-word מבית with on both sides grotesque figures shaped like dragons. Centre: red painted initial-word מבית; on its background three watchtowers painted in different colours and filled with decorative motifs. Bottom: blue painted initial-word מבית surrounded by grotesque figures. Two of them resemble birds.
Folio 11b: Top: red painted initial-word מבית. Centre: blue painted initial-word מבית with possibly a horse and a human face in the letter ת. Bottom: red painted initial-word with two human faces in its letters.
Folio 12a: Top: red painted initial-word ככתוב with blue dots on a painted yellow panel with red dots. Bottom: blue-painted initial-word הודו with red dots on a red painted panel with blue dots. Both of the panels have a colourfully decorated frame with leaf motifs and small lozenges and squares. They are painted in the colours blue, red, green and yellow. Both frames are surrounded by another outer frame of dots and lines in red and blue. In the left and right margin, across the length of the page, are two red bars shaped like branches.
Folio 12b: Both the left and right margin have a red bar across the length of the page shaped like a branch. The first and last word of each line are painted in red.
Folio 13a: Both the left and right margin have a red bar across the length of the page shaped like a branch. The first and last word of each line are painted in red.
Folio 13b: Blue painted initial-word נשמת with red dots in a red painted panel with blue dots. It has a colourful decorated frame with leaf motifs and small squares, painted in yellow, red, blue and green. It is surrounded by another outer frame that consists of blue and red dots and lines. The initial-word and the panel are the largest of this manuscript. The right margin has a full-length red bar with heart-shaped motifs. Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch.
Folio 14a: Blue painted initial-word אלו with red dots on a red painted panel with blue dots. It has a colourful decorated frame with leaf motifs and small squares, painted in red, blue and yellow. It is surrounded by another outer frame that consists of blue, red and yellow dots and lines. Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch.
Folio 14b: Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch.
Folio 15a: Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch. The bottom of the page has a black ink heart-motif decoration.
Folio 15b: Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch.
Folio 16a: Blue painted initial-word ובמקהלות with red dots on a red painted panel with blue dots. It has a frame with leaf-motifs and small squares; its compartments are painted in blue and red. Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch. The top of the page shows a pendant on a necklace, executed in red.
Folio 16b: Centre: red painted initial-word ישתבח. Bottom: red painted initial-words בירושלים לשנה הבאה. Below the words is a horizontal bar with a rope motif on a red panel and red, blue and yellow painted compartments. It has a frame of blue dots and a red line. Both the right and left margin have a full-length red bar shaped like a branch.
Acquisition:
Acquired by Enriqueta Rylands in 1901 from James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford of Haigh Hall and later bequeathed to the The John Rylands Library.
Layout:
Long line with between 13 and 15 written lines
Script:
Italian square script. Visible hard point ruling and pricking.
Data Source(s):
Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, description of decorations by Gabrielle Sed-Rajna, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri, Renate Smithuis and Nienke Valk.
Subject(s):
Haggadah; Prayer Judaism; Judaism Liturgy Texts
Abstract:
Incomplete Passover Haggadah, with extensive decoration of initial words and human and animal figures. The manuscript was completed in Italy, possibly in the 14th century. The text starts from the section corresponding to the drinking of the third cup of wine within Birkat ha-Mazon.
Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the top outer corner of side a of each folio. Black ink pagination in brackets at the top outer corner of each page, mostly crossed out.
Format:
Codex
Material:
Parchment
Provenance:
Folio viia: Handwritten note in ink reading: "(Vide quae de hoc Rituali in μυριoβιβλωι meo MS. / scripta sunt.) / Exempla unicum: cujus partem hactenes / non visam alibi edendam transcripsit H. Edelman / 28/3/52. / Ritus Paschales, / Hebraicè. / Codex ακεφαλoς. / Saeculi circiter X.mi (judicante Edelman / no.) / Vetustissimum creditur esse / exemplar, omnium / quae extant.".
Folio viib (folded section): Handwritten note in pencil reading: "pp. 32-63 / of Barretts / edition, (as / marked in my / copy) [...] the [...] / of this Ms. / Many Variants. / pp. 11-23 [...] / in all [...] / [...]
Folios viii-ix: Printed text entitled "פיוט ללילי חג הפסח". The Hebrew footnote reads in translation: "This piyyut together with what follows is found in a very old ms of the Seder Haggadah of Pesach which belongs to the Reverend William Henry Black, Assistant Keeper of the Public Records, Rolls House, London. And I have copied it from it, for I had been called by him to come to his house to visit the mss of the sons of our people who are in his treasure [...]". A further pencil note at the top of the same page reads "From Mr. Cr. N D / 16/6/53".
First back fly-leaf side a and back paste-down: Bookplate reading: "Endure Fort. / Bibliotheca Lindesiana" with shelfmark "E / 9".
First back fly-leaf side a: Handwritten labels reading "Hebrew MSS. / No. 29" and note in pencil "16 folios".
First back fly-leaf side b: Signature from W.H. Black, 1825.
First back fly-leaf side b: Handwritten note reading "Ritus Paschales / Hebraice" and label reading "Hebrew 29".
Condition:
Stained. Irregular edges. Small tears in parchment repaired with transparent tape.
Additions:
Marginalia: identification of biblical texts; corrections; repetition of opening words; pencil remarks in English; occasional marginal notes in Hebrew.
Note(s):
Tiberian vocalisation.
- Extent:
- Rights
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- Provided by The University of Manchester. Zooming image © University of Manchester Library, All rights reserved. Images and Metadata made available for download are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Images and Metadata made available for download are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
