Hebrew and Judaica Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University

MS. Canonici Or. 56

Oriental Manuscripts Canonici Oriental Collection

Contents

Hebrew Bible: Writings

ff. 1r-147v
Hebrew Bible: Writings נביאים אחרונים

Continuation of MS Can. Or. 69. The beginning of the MS (Pentateuch, Former Prophets and the beginning of Jeremiah) can be found in Parma (MSS. Parm. 2946–2947——De Rossi 604)

This volume contains the books of Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra (Nehemiah) and Chronicles.

Colophon: Concluding formula: בנימין הלבלר חזק ולעולם לא יזק נצח ועד (fol. 147v).
Language(s): Hebrew

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ff. 148
Dimensions (leaf): 283 × 201 mm.
Foliation: Foliation in Arabic numerals.

Collation

xviii quires: i-xvii 8, xviii 10 no signatures catchwords at the end of the quires.

Layout

Text in two columns; ruling and pricking are often visible.

Hand(s)

Ashkenazi square script. Decorated initial words at the head of books in Sephardi square script.

Decoration

Decorated pen-flourished initial words (e.g. fol.2v, 4v, 39v, 53r, 64v, 69v, 71v, 74r, 84r, 89v, 105v).

Binding

Leather binding, blind-tooled.

History

Origin: [France?]; [late 13th century]

Provenance and Acquisition

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. 79, Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library; Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda to Vol. I, No. 79, 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.

Microfilm

MSS R.R. Film No. F 33092

Bibliography

    Neubauer, Adolf, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1886), no. 79.
    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. 79.
    Benjamin Richler, ed. Hebrew manuscripts in the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma: catalogue, palaeographical and codicological descriptions [by] Malachi Beit-Arié (Jerusalem: Jewish National and University Library, 2001)

TO TOP