Obj. ID: 21103
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts  Fugger's First Venetian Commentaries on the Bible, Venice, 1549

Fugger's First Venetian Commentaries on the Bible | Unknown

*Manuscripts and Printed Books | Biblical commentaries

Unknown

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: | David ben Moshe (scribe)
Venetian group of Hebrew manuscripts for the collector Johann Jakob Fugger: | Yishai ben Yehiel (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 5

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Germany | Munich | Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (BSB)
| Cod.hebr. 52 (Steinschneider 1895, No. 52)

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1. Commentary on the Pentateuch by Joseph Bekhor Shor (fols. 1-208v): beginsבראשית ברא הקב"ה כלומ(ר) בראשית בתחילת בריותיו (Jellinek 1856; Halevi 1924:97-129, 209-268; Joel 1936-37:515 no. 7; Schwab 1964:2; Nevo 2001:209-268). 2. Commentary on the Five Scrolls by Levi ben Gershom (fols. 209-293v): beginsאמר לוי בן גרשום ראינו לבאר המגלה הזאת והיא מגלת שיר השירים. This commentary cover only four scrolls: Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes and Esther. 1st ed. Riva di Trento 1560. The fifth scroll, Lamentations, is dealt with by the following commentator: 3. Commentary on Lamentations by Joseph ben Simeon Kara (fols. 294-297v): beginsאיכה ישבה בדד העיר רבתי עם . 1st ed. Naples 1487.

Fol. 152: The colophon ending the text is written by Yishai ben Yehiel in semi-cursive script: נשלם זה הביאור והיתה השלמתו בסוף אדר הראשון שנת ש"ט לפרט האלף הששי (This commentary was completed at the end of I Adar in the year 5309 [1549]).

Fol. 230v: There is a crown above the name David.

Watermarks: Trefoil flower between 'P' and '3' in the outer corner of the folio (32 mm; e.g. fols. 3, 40, 57, 96, 121, 140, 172, 209, 220, 224, D: 244, 254, 261): similar to Harlfinger 1974-80: Lettres 75 (Venice, 1548, 1550); cross between '3' and 'M' in the outer corner of the folio (28 mm; e.g. fol. 217): unidentified.

Green leather turned brown on wooden boards (340 x238 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 CŌMENTARII IN PENTATEVCHVM, and the letter D below. The back roundel is inscribed על התורה/פירושים, and below the letter ד. 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 on the side 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 in 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. 11, 17, 22, 24, 40, 54 and Cod.gr. 21, 39.

 

Watermarks on flyleaves: At the center of the folio an anchor within a circle and a star above it (65 mm; former front pastedown); trefoil flower between 'P' and '3' in the outer corner of the folio (32 mm; front cover first and second and back cover fifth flyleaves) similar to Harlfinger 1974-80: Lettres 75 (Venice, 1548, 1550).

 

The decoration is executed by Yaakov ben Yosef, David ben Moshe, and Yishai ben Yehiel:

1. Yaakov ben Yosef: The title on fol. 1' is written in decorated display script. 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. 24, fols. 165, 213; Cod.hebr. 32, fol. 1; Cod.hebr. 40, fols. 160, 161, 219, 219v; Cod.hebr. 48, fol. 1; Cod.hebr. 62, fols. 1, 183.
   1. Yishai ben Yehiel: A crown above various words (e.g. fol. 245v).
   2. David ben Moshe: Decoration of the first letter on the first line of the leaf (e.g. fol. 241).

Owners' inscriptions: None. Inscriptions of librarians and researchers: The numbering of the texts by Fugger’s librarians does not always correspond to the actual number of texts in the manuscript: N0 1: fols. 1-208v; N0 2: fols. 209-297v. Third front flyleaf, verso: contents in Hebrew in brown ink by Librarian 1a: חמשה חומשי תורה/ ופירושו עליהן הנקר'(א)/ בכור שור/ גם חמש מגילת עם/ פירוש מפואר/ הרלב"ג. Contents in Latin in light brown ink by Librarian 3: Bechor zor super pentateuchum\ Hamaz meghiloth de ralbag. Contents in Latin characters in brown ink by Librarian 2: Hamischah humschei tora\ up(h)eiruscho aleihoen hanikra\ bechor schor\ Gam hames megilos im\ p(h)eirusch mephoar\ haralbag. Contents in Latin in brown ink by Librarian 6: i. Rabi Leui ben Gamaliel, and below it: Commentarium in Pentateuchu tuius titulus est Bechor schor\ i. Bos primus.\ Rabi Leui filij Gerson aut Gamalielis commentarius\ super quinq Megillos. On both exlibris on the inside of the front wooden board there are the contents in Latin by two different librarians. Exlibris and stamps: Inside of the front wooden board: 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), stuck over his earlier exlibris (175 x 135 mm) of 1618, before he became Elector in 1623 (Dressler 1972:A3a-f). אין חותמת של הספרייה ? Old Signatures: Front cover in black ink: Sta. 8 n0 14 (second signature of Fugger's library). Front cover in black ink: 2.(?) 26 (Duke's library, Prommer's signature). Spine, on sticker in black ink: Cod.hebr. 52 (current signature). Inside of the front wooden board, on the exlibris in plummet: Cod.hebr. 52 (current signature).