Manchester. The John Rylands Library, Hebrew MS 23
- Source
- Manchester Digital Collections
- Library
- The John Rylands Library
- Shelfmark
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- Hebrew MS 23
- Biblissima authority file
- Language
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- Hebrew
- Title
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- Sefer ha-Mivhar (ספר המבחר וטוב המסחר | Commentary on the Pentateuch | The Choice Book)
- Agent
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- Preferred form
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- Aaron ben Joseph, ha-Rofe (1250?-1320)
- Role
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- Author
- Original form
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- Aaron ben Joseph, ha-Rofe, -1320
- אהרון בן יוסף הרופא
- Aaron ben Joseph the Doctor
- 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:
162 ff. (i+162+ii) Leaf height: 328 mm, width: 230 mm. Written height: 228 mm, width: 153 mm.
Binding:
Cardboard flexible binding with grey paper cover. Sewn on two raised cords.
Decoration:
The initial words are made in black ink and have a wavy character. Each catchword is provided with a small wavy line. Successive inverted triangles and diamond shapes can be seen at the end of texts, such as the parashiyot (see e.g. folios 37a, 84b, 162b). Nearly every page has margin words that are marked with arrow-functional drawings: short pen strokes with a small circle at one end. They also occur in the text. Some additional decorations or peculiarities include: Folio 2b: Four-word heading with dots over each letter.
Folios 4a and 60b: Manicules.
Folios 127a-128b: Headings are decorated with small ink stripes.
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 38 written lines. Dry stylus ruling and bordering.
Collation:
Catchwords on side b of each folio.
Script:
Karaite semi-cursive script.Parashah beginnings and endings in Karaite square script.
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):
Karaites; Bible Commentaries; Karaite manuscripts; Piyutim
Abstract:
This is a manuscript copy of the Doctor Aaron ben Joseph's thirteenth-century commentary on the Pentateuch, known as "The Choice Book" (Sefer ha-Mivhar). The title used in the manuscript is Sefer ha-Mivhar ve-Tuv ha-Mishar. Referred to as Aaron the Elder in some manuscripts, the author was deeply influenced by Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed. He is believed to be the first Karaite to have injected Maimonidean ideas into Karaite mainstream thought.
Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the bottom outer corner of side a of each folio, up to folio 31.
Format:
Codex
Material:
Paper with watermarks: on folio iiia circle with bull inside and a star next to the circle.
Provenance:
Handwritten on spine in black ink "ספר / המבחר / וטובה / המסחר / R. / AARONIS / F. JOS. / Karaei, / Comment. / in / Legem. / MS. / Saec. XV".
Label on spine reading "HEBREW 23".
Front paste-down: Handwritten notes in pencil.
Folio ia: Handwritten in pencil "Codex Caraiticus" and "7.7.0".
Folio 2a: Handwritten in ink "מבחר".
Folio 2b: Handwritten in pencil in the margin: Anno 54 = AM. 4294 = AD. 1294
Folio iib: Bookplate reading "Endure Fort / Bibliotheca Lindesiana", with shelfmark "5 / F".
Folio iiib: Handwritten in pencil "Biblia and Commentary"
Back paste-down: Handwritten notes in pencil reading "Hebrew MSS / No. 23"; "W.H. Black / 16/6/57" and some notes on the content of the manuscript.
Bottom edge of text block: Handwritten in Hebrew reading "ספר המבחר פירוש על [...]".
Condition:
Sewing fragile. Part of folio 100 has been cut out.
Additions:
Some marginal notes in different hands.
Note(s):
Running head on side a of each folio with the name of each parashah until the beginning of Parashat be-Midbar (Num. 1:1-4:20). Afterwards, running heads only appear sporadically, mostly in relation to Parashat Qorah (Num. 16:1-18:32). On folio 2b the commentary opens with a poem. Incipit: בני אל חי בני אבות ברורים. 927 ב. The last line of the poem includes the date of composition 5054 AM [= 1294 CE].
- Extent:
- Rights
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