Hebrew and Judaica Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University

MS. Canonici Or. 55

Oriental Manuscripts Canonici Oriental Collection

Contents

Lamentations for the Ninth of Av

ff. 1r-118v
Ḳinot (lamentations) for the Ninth of Av according to the Western Ashkenazi rite קינות לתשעה באב מנהג אשכנז המערבי

Before the ḳinot the Book of Lamentations; after the ḳinot the Book of Job and the Book of Jeremiah (until 32:22).

Used by D. Goldschmidt in his edition (Jerusalem, 1968).

Numerous marginal notes, corrections in Hebrew, and one marginal note in Italian (fol. 3r).

Language(s): Hebrew

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ff. 118
Dimensions (leaf):
Foliation: Foliation in Arabic numerals as well as Hebrew characters.

Collation

xv quires: i-xiv 8, xv 6 no signatures catchwords at the end of the quires.

Layout

Text in one or two columns.

Hand(s)

Ashkenazi square scripts.

Jeremiah (fols. 81r-118v) by another hand.

Decoration

Unfinished decorated initial word (fol. 49r), illustrated initial word (fol. 81)

Decorated catchwords (e.g. 88v, 96v, 104v, 112v)

Binding

Red leather binding, gold-tooled.

History

Origin: [Germany]; [ca.1300]

Provenance and Acquisition

Ownership notes: לעולם יחתום אדם שמו על סיפרו שלו יהא אדם מן השוק ויערער עליו אמר שלי הוא לכן חתמתי שמי... [name is not legible any more, it has been erased](fol.1r) משה אהרן בר יוסף רבא... (fols. 4r, 6r, 118v); description of content in Italian on fol. (i)r.

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. 1169, Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library; Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda to Vol. I, No. 1169, 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 16628

Bibliography

    Neubauer, Adolf, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1886), no. 1169.
    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. 1169.

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