Hebrew and Judaica Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University

MS. Canonici Or. 78

Oriental Manuscripts Canonici Oriental Collection

Contents

Mishneh Torah

ff. 1v-429r
Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204משה בן מימון, Mishneh Torah משנה תורה

Deletions by Marchion (e.g. fol. 15r, 16v, 429r).

Numerous marginal notes.

Colophon: Colophon on fol. 429v: וכתבים כלם היחיוני ביד אלהיו הטובה עליו סימם בט"ו יום לחדש טבת שנת תתקמ"ה לאלף החמישי ברוך הותן ליעף כח ולאין אונים עמצה ירבה" . The date in the colophon was originally תתרמ"ה (1045) that is 1284. A later hand modified the letter 'resh' to 'ḳuf' (cf. Malachi Beit-Arie, Tarbiz 51 (1971/2).
Language(s): Hebrew

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ff. 429
Dimensions (leaf): 310 × 260 mm.
Foliation: Foliation in Arabic numerals.

Collation

52 quires of (mostly) 8 leaves signatures in Hebrew characters (and signatures from left to right in Arabic numerals added by a later hand) catchwords at the end of quires

Layout

Text in three columns. Pricking and ruling are visible. Hair and flesh side are distinguishable.

Hand(s)

Sephardi semi-cursive script. Glosses in Italian hand.

Decoration

Not decorated.

Binding

Brown leather binding, blind-tooled.

History

Origin: [Spain]; 1284

Provenance and Acquisition

Censors' signatures: ' Marchion' (fol. 429r), 'Ho revisto questo libro io andrea de monte' (fol. 429v). Purchase note and ownership note at the beginning משה עשרי יזיי בכמ"ר אברהם זלה"ה בב"ר משה ריבלדי הרופא ... שלמה זצ"ל בכ"ר שמואל גליקו ...

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. 568, Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library; Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda to Vol. I, No. 568,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 19439

Bibliography

    Neubauer, Adolf, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1886), no. 568.
    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. 568.

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