The Digital Walters is a branch of The Walters Art Museum Manuscripts Department.
This manuscript is a Hebrew Bible with a colophon dated 5026 (1266), written in Spain, probably Tudela, Burgeos, or Soria. It has an unusual book order after the Prophets, only known in one other Bible, the Dublin Ibn Gaon Bible made in Tudela circa 1300. The parchment leaves, in quires of eight, are ruled in hard point and the text is written in three columns of Iberian Sephardic square script (except in Job and Psalms, which are written in two columns). The masorah are written in micrography and arranged in decorative borders. The Bible is otherwise relatively simply decorated, with two carpet pages at the beginning and one at the end; an illustration of a harp at the end of Psalms; and marginal decorations marking the parashot (weekly Torah portions).
Support: Parchment; Extent: ii+439+ii; 234 x 220 mm bound to 255 x 236 mm; Collation: 1 (5, +1 +2 +3 +4 +5), 2-54 (8), 55 (6), 56 (4)
Three columns (except in Job and Psalms, written in two columns) of thirty lines; ruled in hard point, with inner and outer pricking; written area: 165 x 147 mm
Iberian Sephardic square
Greater masoretic notes, also called the large Masorah, are written in micrography and braided into a decorative ribbon pattern throughout; at the end of every section there is a gold U-shaped design that contains the number of verses in each section, written in smaller print; at the end of Psalms is an illustration of a harp instead (fol. 336r); the start of each parasha (weekly Torah portion) is indicated by an marginal ornament with a number in the center; similar ornaments mark the beginning of each chapter in Psalms; the first two pages and one page at the end are intricately decorated in a diamond pattern with micrography (carpet pages); the text for the first carpet page comes from Psalms 119, 150, and 106 (fol. 1r); the zig-zag text on the second carpet page are Masoretic notes (fol. 1v); the final carpet page in the manuscript has three large lines of Hebrew text from the opening lines of Psalm 37:5: "Turn your ways to the Lord, and trust" (fol. 439v)
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
Parchment of the leaves is high-quality goatskin from young goats, according to Nicholas Pickwoad
Written with a reed pen, according to Rachel Beckwith
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Northern Spain
Most likely from Tudela, Burgeos, or Soria in northern Spain, based on the Sephardic script, use of a reed pen, eight sheets per quire, sequence of books after Malachi, and the page pricking method, according to Rachel Beckwith; 1266
Modern leather with parchment flyleaves
Hebrew
Rabbi Joshua, son of Rabbi Zicharya; Nissim, son of Rabi Amram, purchased 1715-1716; Shlomo Cohen, purchased 1750-1751; possibly purchased by J. Rendel Harris in Jerusalem, circa 1892; gift of J. Rendel Harris
Northern Spain
Most likely from Tudela, Burgeos, or Soria in northern Spain, based on the Sephardic script, use of a reed pen, eight sheets per quire, sequence of books after Malachi, and the page pricking method, according to Rachel Beckwith; 1266
Hebrew
Rabbi Joshua, son of Rabbi Zicharya; Nissim, son of Rabi Amram, purchased 1715-1716; Shlomo Cohen, purchased 1750-1751; possibly purchased by J. Rendel Harris in Jerusalem, circa 1892; gift of J. Rendel Harris
This manuscript is a Hebrew Bible with a colophon dated 5026 (1266), written in Spain, probably Tudela, Burgeos, or Soria. It has an unusual book order after the Prophets, only known in one other Bible, the Dublin Ibn Gaon Bible made in Tudela circa 1300. The parchment leaves, in quires of eight, are ruled in hard point and the text is written in three columns of Iberian Sephardic square script (except in Job and Psalms, which are written in two columns). The masorah are written in micrography and arranged in decorative borders. The Bible is otherwise relatively simply decorated, with two carpet pages at the beginning and one at the end; an illustration of a harp at the end of Psalms; and marginal decorations marking the parashot (weekly Torah portions).
Parchment of the leaves is high-quality goatskin from young goats, according to Nicholas Pickwoad
Written with a reed pen, according to Rachel Beckwith
Iberian Sephardic square
Greater masoretic notes, also called the large Masorah, are written in micrography and braided into a decorative ribbon pattern throughout; at the end of every section there is a gold U-shaped design that contains the number of verses in each section, written in smaller print; at the end of Psalms is an illustration of a harp instead (fol. 336r); the start of each parasha (weekly Torah portion) is indicated by an marginal ornament with a number in the center; similar ornaments mark the beginning of each chapter in Psalms; the first two pages and one page at the end are intricately decorated in a diamond pattern with micrography (carpet pages); the text for the first carpet page comes from Psalms 119, 150, and 106 (fol. 1r); the zig-zag text on the second carpet page are Masoretic notes (fol. 1v); the final carpet page in the manuscript has three large lines of Hebrew text from the opening lines of Psalm 37:5: "Turn your ways to the Lord, and trust" (fol. 439v)
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
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