Obj. ID: 20910
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts  Fugger's Fourth Miscellany on Kabbalah, Venice, c.1549

Fugger's Fourth Venetian Miscellany on Kabbalah | Unknown

*Manuscripts and Printed Books | Mystical and Kabbalistic literature

Unknown

c.1549

Venetian group of Hebrew manuscripts for the collector Johann Jakob Fugger: | Yaakov ben Yosef (scribe)
Venetian group of Hebrew manuscripts for the collector Johann Jakob Fugger: | Scribe 4
Venetian group of Hebrew manuscripts for the collector Johann Jakob Fugger: | Scribe 6
Venetian group of Hebrew manuscripts for the collector Johann Jakob Fugger: | Scribe 7

Italy | Veneto | Venice
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Germany | Munich | Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (BSB)
| Cod.hebr. 24 (Steinschneider 1895, No. 24)

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1. Sefer ha-Emunot (ספר האמונות; The Book of Beliefs) by Shem Tov ibn Shem Tov (fols. 1-164v): begins אמר אין ספק כי החכמה והמדע הם מלימים. 1st ed. Ferrara 1556. 2. Hakhmei ha-Iyyun Hakhmei ha-Kabbalah (חכמי העיון חכמי הקבלה; Sages of the Iyyun Sages of the Kabbalah) by Moshe (fols. 165-185): begins מה נמלצו לחכי אמרתיך. 3. Anonymous Philosophical Commentary on Ecclesiastes (4:17-5:1) (fols. 185-189v): beginsשמור רגלך כאשר תלך אל בית האלהים. 4. Sha'arei Tefillah (שערי תפילה; The Gate of Prayer) according to Kabbalah (fols. 189v-194v): beginsסוד התפילה הוא כלל גדול ובעזרת האל נבאר לך בענין סוד התפלה. 5. Commentary on Ezekiel's Chariot by Isaac ben Jacob Ha-Kohen (fols. 195-199): beginsסוד ה' ליריאיו ובריתו להודיעם (Scholem 1931:188ff). 6. Shlosha Asar Kohot (שלושה עשר כוחות; lit. Thirteen Strengths) from the literature of the Iyyun circle (fols. 199-200): begins לך ה' הגדולה והגבורה והתפארת והנצח וההוד. 7. Series of short treatises on Kabbalah (fols. 200-203): beginsאדוני הואיל וחפצך לבוא בדרכי החכמה; האבות הן הן המרכבה; ה' בחכמה יסד ארץ; אמר רב חמאי ראש המדברים על פנימיות החכמה. These treatises appear in similar order in other manuscripts, cf. Rome, Biblioteca Casanatense MS 3134, fols. 11-13v. 8. Fragments on Kabbalah (fols. 203-212) (Steinschneider 1895:10). 9. Sodei Razyya (סודי רזייא; Hidden Secrets) by Eleazar ben Jehuda of Worms (fols. 213-283): beginsברוך חכם הרזים שחלק מחכמתו ליריאיו (Dan 1968:62-64).

None.

Fol. 194v: Inscription by Yaakov ben Yosef: לא מצאתי יותר כתו'(ב) בזה הספר סליק פי'(רוש) של תפילה I did not find more written in this book, the commentary on the prayer is completed.

Watermarks: A trefoil flower between 'P' and '3' in the outer corner of the folio (32 mm; e.g. front cover third flyleaf and fols. 7, 24, 36, 67, 168, 240, 283): similar to Harlfinger 1974-80, Lettres 75 (Venice, 1548, 1550).

Green leather turned brown on wooden boards (355 x 242 mm); gold-tooled similarly on front and back with a central roundel within an undulating lozenge in a large rectangle, decorated with floral motifs at the centre of each side and at the corners. The front roundel is inscribed קבלה; below is the letter ו? (erased). The back roundel is inscribed CABALA and below is the letter F. The spine, blind-tooled with hatching, has four hidden cords and head and tail bands. On the edges of the front cover are vestiges of four groups of three plaited leather bands, two groups on the side edge and one each on the upper and lower edges, with corresponding holes for four nails on the edges of the back cover (for preserved bands see Cod.hebr. 301). Each group of three bands terminated in a ring intended to hook over the nails on the opposite cover. The leaves are gilt-edged.

 

This binding was made for Fugger by Andrea di Lorenzo inVenice(Hobson 1999:111-112). Similar bindings in BSB: Cod.hebr. 40, 11, 17, 22, 52, 54 and e.g. BSB Cod.gr. 21, 39.

 

Watermarks on flyleaves: A trefoil flower between 'P' and '3' in the outer corner of the folio (32 mm; front cover former pastedown and back cover third and fourth flyleaves): similar to Harlfinger 1974-80, Lettres 75 (Venice, 1548, 1550).

The decoration is executed by Yaakov ben Yosef:

1. Depiction of a gate illustrating the text (fol. 260).
2. Decorative titles accompanied by a dog, a hybrid and human faces (fols. 165 and 213).

For similar titles, captions and initial words see: BSB Cod.hebr. 10, fol. 1; Cod.hebr. 15, fol. 245;

Cod.hebr. 17, fol. 169; Cod.hebr. 22, fols. 1, 70, 181; Cod.hebr. 32, fol. 1; Cod.hebr. 40, fols. 160,

161, 219, 219v; Cod.hebr. 48, fol. 1; Cod.hebr. 52, fol. 1; Cod.hebr. 62, fols. 1, 183.

 

Owners' inscriptions: None. Inscriptions of librarians and researchers: The numbering of texts by Fugger’s librarians does not orrespond to their actual number in the manuscript: N0 1: fols. 1-164v; N0 2: fols. 165-212; N0 3: fols. 213-283. Former front pastedown: Contents in Hebrew in brown ink by Librarian 1a: ספר אמונת/ חכמי העיון/ חכמי הקבלה/ ספר רזי אל/ ספר רזי בחשבון/ אל עזר. Contents in Hebrew in Latin characters in brown ink by Librarian 2: Sephaer eminas.\ Hachme haion.\ Hachme hakabala\ Sephaer Rase el.\ Sephaer Rase kehaeschbon\ Eli Aesaer.\ 1. Sephaer Emunas, liber fidei.\ 2. Hachme haion et hachma cabala\ liber Cabalisticus.\ 3. Sephaer Raziel idem quod\ Eleazer. Liber Cabalisticus.\ Raziel angelus Adami fuit, quieum\ do(minus) fuit omnia secreta. Below, by a later librarian in pencil: Meier Rothemburgensis ... Exlibris and stamps: Inside front cover: an exlibris of the Bavarian Court and State Library (230 x 155 mm) with the arms of Elector Maximilian I of 1638 (Dressler 1972:B3ab). On fols. 1, 2, 283v there is a modern oval stamp of the BSB: BIBLIOTHECA\ REGIA\ MONACENSIS. Old signatures: Back cover in black ink: …8(?).25 (second signature of Fugger's library is erased). Front cover in black ink: 2. n. 1 (Duke's library, Prommer's signature). Former front pastedown in red ink: 2.1 (Duke's library, Prommer's revision of 1583). Former front pastedown in black ink: MS. Hebr. 35. Spine, on the sticker in black ink: Cod.hebr. 24 (current signature). Inside front cover, on exlibris in plummet: Cod.hebr. 24 (current signature).