Hebrew and Judaica Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University

MS. Canonici Or. 1

Oriental Manuscripts Canonici Oriental Collection

Contents

Sidur according to the Ashkenazi rite (Würzburg Siddur)

ff. 1v-133v
Sidur minhag Ashkenaz ha-maʿaravi le-kol ha-shanah (Würzburg Siddur) סדור מנהג אשכנז המערבי לכל השנה

Commentaries in the margins

The name Aaron is pointed out on fol. 41r, the word naḳdan is added in the margin probably by the vocalizer with a very thin quill.

On fols. 91v-92v the scribe copied (with many errors due to misreading) a calendar starting with the year [50]64, being the sixth year of the cycle 264 (should be the tenth year of cycle 267) and concluding with the last year of the cycle.

The Sidur contains the Amidah prayers for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur (fols. 1v-24r); hoshanot and piyyutim for Śimḥat Torah (fols. 24v-41v); maaravim (fols. 41v-48v, 57r-80v); and Aramaic piyyutim for the Ten Commandments and for the seventh day of Passover (fols. 106r-131v)

Additional texts: uncomplete Haggadah (fols. 49r-56v), calendar with halakhot and seder ha-ḳeriah (order of the reading of biblical sections) for Sabbaths and festivals (fols. 81r-93v)

"חסדאי בר פנחס הלוי" ו"אברהם בר יועץ" בשטר מ"שנת חמשת אלפים ושבע עשרה ... במדינת וירצבורק" (96ב), "במתא ליוא" (99א), "מרת יינטיל בת ר’ ששון ור’ יאיר בר מנשה בעלה" (101ב),

Language(s): Hebrew

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ff. 133
Dimensions (leaf): 254 × 193 mm.
Foliation: Foliation in Arabic numerals. Fol. 30 was originally misfoliated as 35. The references in Neubauer from there onwards should accordingly be reduced by 5 throughout the MS.;

Collation

Quires of mostly 8 leaves, catchwords at the end of the quires.

Condition

Binding is partially detached from collation.

Layout

Pricking is often visible, parchment is low quality, numerous holes.

Hand(s)

Main text in Ashkenazi semi-cursive script, punctuated (up to fol. 80v); commentaries and dinim in smaller Ashkenazi semi-cursive script.

The marginal columns on fols.65v-66v by a different hand.

Decoration

Inhabited initial words (fols. 1v, 14r, 50r); inhabited border (fol. 1v), decorated initial word (fol. 36r), carmina figurata (fols. 52v-55r)

Binding

Brown leather binding, gold-tooled.

History

Origin: [Germany]; ca. 1303/4

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership inscriptions: "יהודא ליב בן לא"א כהר"ר ישעי’ יצ"ו" (twice on fol. 28v)

Matteo Luigi Canonici's (1727-1805) collections passed to his brother Giuseppe, and on his death in 1807 to Giovanni Perissinotti and Girolamo Cardina, who divided them. To the former fell the MSS., then about 3550 in number, and, after many attempts to sell them, the Bodleian became the purchaser of the greater part in 1817, for £5444 5s. 1d., or including incidental expenses about £6030, the largest single purchase ever made by the Library. The formal list of volumes handed over was signed on May 18, 1817, and the books probably arrived later that year.

Record Sources

Manuscript description based on Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, vol. I, by Adolf Neubauer, Oxford 1886, No. 1104, Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library; Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda to Vol. I, No. 1104 , and on the data of the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, National Library of Israel with additional enhancements by the cataloguer.

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures contact Bodleian Admissions). Contact specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Microfilm

MSS R.R. Film No. F 17710

Bibliography

    Neubauer, Adolf, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1886), no. 1104.
    Cohen-Mushlin, Aliza, "The artistic style of the 'Mahzor'", in Worms "Mahzor", MS. Jewish National and University Library Heb 4° 781/1; Introductory Volume. Ed. by Malachi Beit-Arié (Vaduz - Jerusalem: Jewish National and University Library, 1985), 92.
    Beit-Arié, Malachi and R.A. May (eds), Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library; Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda to Vol. I (A. Neubauer’s Catalogue) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), no. 1104.

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