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Obj. ID: 26157
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts
  Nathan's Liturgical Pentateuch, Ashkenaz, 14th-15th century

© Center for Jewish Art, Photographer: Unknown,
Summary and Remarks

The manuscript was copied by the scribe Nathan ben Eliezer, as stated in the colophon, in Germany. The text and the choice and order of the Haftarot are standard for Ashkenazi liturgical Pentateuchs. Schwarz dated the manuscript to the 15th century, but it could just as easily be attributed to the 14th century since the manuscript does not show any specific characteristics of the time of its production.

The manuscript contains only the scribal decoration for the Parashah signs.

Corrections on the margins and between the columns were, mostly, done by the scribe himself. He proofread the text before he added the catchwords. For example on fol.384 afew words were added on the inner margins, completing the missing text before the first word of this page. The catchword on fol. 383v repeats the first word of the addition.

The massorah was written after the catchwords and the decoration were done. Its lines take into account the existence of both (e.g. fol. 8v).

 

Remarks

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Name/Title
Nathan's Liturgical Pentateuch | Unknown
Object Detail
Monument Setting
Unknown
Date
14th-15th century
Synagogue active dates
Reconstruction dates
Origin
Historical Origin
Unknown
Community type
Unknown |
Congregation
Unknown
Site
Unknown
School/Style
Unknown|
Period
Unknown
Period Detail
Collection
Austria | Vienna | Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB)
| Cod. hebr. 38 (Schwartz, No. 13)
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
Iconographical Subject
Unknown |
Textual Content
Unknown |
Languages of inscription
Unknown
Shape / Form
Unknown
Material / Technique
Material Stucture
Material Decoration
Material Bonding
Material Inscription
Material Additions
Material Cloth
Material Lining
Tesserae Arrangement
Density
Colors
Construction material
Measurements
Height
Length
Width
Depth
Circumference
Thickness
Diameter
Weight
Axis
Panel Measurements
Condition
Good
Extant
Documented by CJA
Surveyed by CJA
Present Usage
Present Usage Details
Condition of Building Fabric
Architectural Significance type
Historical significance: Event/Period
Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
Historical significance: Person
Architectural Significance: Style
Architectural Significance: Artistic Decoration
Urban significance
Significance Rating
0
Ornamentation
Custom
Contents
Pentateuch with massorah magna and parva, Five scrolls and Haftarot. Vocalized and punctuated. Pentateuch: Genesis (fols. 1v – 80v); Exodus (fols. 80v – 151v); Leviticus (fols. 151v – 201v); Numbers (fols. 201v – 268v); Deuteronomy (fols. 268v –314v) Five scrolls: Song of Songs (fols. 316 – 320v); Ruth (fols. 320v – 325); Lamentations (fols. 325 – 331v); Ecclesiastes (fols. 331v – 343v); Esther (fols. 343v – 356v) Haftarot (fols. 356v – 466v).
Codicology

Material

Parchment, 467 leaves. Fly leaves???

 

Measurements

Full page:  (246-250) x (185-190) mm

Text space:  140 x105 mm   

 

Scribes

Single scribe

Schwarz (p. 12).distinguished two hands in some places of massorah parva

 

Columns

Mostly, the text is written in two columns, except for the songs on fols. 105-106v (the 1st Moses' Song (Exodus 15)), 378-379 (Dvora's Song (Judges 5)) and 444-446 (David's Song (2 Samuel 22)), which are written in a brick work pattern. The colophon on fol. 469, is written in one column.      

 

Script

The text is written in square Ashkenazi script in ?

Number of lines

The text is written in 21-25 lines per page.

 

Ruling

The ruling is executed by plummet: 22 horizontal and 2+3+2 vertical lines. For massorah: 3+4 lines (top + bottom respectively). 

 

Pricking

The pricking is situated in all four margins.

 

Quires

61 quires of 8 leaves each, except for 9 quires of 6 leaves each (X, XVIII, XXII,XXVII, XXXII, XLVII, XLIX, LVII,LXI) and quire XLI(8-3)(fols. 311, 312 and 313 are single leaves).

 

Catchwords

The horizontal catchwords are written in square and semi-cursive Ashkenazi script in the lower left hand corner on the final verso of each quire. Usually they are surmounted by v-shaped strokes creating a triangle (e.g. fol. 360v).

 

Hebrew numeration

None

 

Blank leaves

Fols. 315-315v.

Scribes
Script
Number of Lines
Ruling
Pricking
Quires
Catchwords
Hebrew Numeration
Blank Leaves
Direction/Location
Façade (main)
Endivances
Location of Torah Ark
Location of Apse
Location of Niche
Location of Reader's Desk
Location of Platform
Temp: Architecture Axis
Arrangement of Seats
Location of Women's Section
Direction Prayer
Direction Toward Jerusalem
Coin
Coin Series
Coin Ruler
Coin Year
Denomination
Signature
Colophon
Fol. 467: "מתן סתר תנו יותר לזה עופר\ נתן ברבי אליעזר הסופר מכתת\ אפר עד ימצא בו שכירותו\ וענתה בו אומנות אשר ממנו\ יקפוץ ידו פתאום יבא אידו\ והאיש אשר יתן לו בארץ\ החיים יהי חבלו: חזק\ ונתחזק (ה- מחוקה) נ'ב'א'ה' [נתן ברבי אליעזר הסופר] לא יוזק לא\ היום ולא לעלם עד שיעלה\ חמור בסולם (אשר יעקב אבינו חלם- תוספת ביד אחרת)." "……. Strengthen and be strong, (h)* Nathan ben R. Eliezer the scribe (abbreviated) not be harmed today nor ever until a donkey climbs the ladder (that Jacob dreamed**)." *The letter ה is canceled by the scribe. First he intended to write "the scribe" (הסופר), the word which is usually used in this formula of Ashkenazi scribes, but then instead of it he decided to write the abbreviation of his name. ** This allusion to the Jacob's dream (Genesis 28:12), sometimes appearing also in other Ashkenazi manuscripts, was added in the semi-cursive script not by the scribe, but probably by one of the owners.
Scribal Notes
Corrections on the margins and between the columns were done mostly by the scribe himself (e.g. fol. 384).
Watermark
Hallmark
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Trade Mark
Binding

 

Brown calf on wooden boards. The front and back covers and the spine are blind tooled. The front cover is tooled with six interlacing circles arranged in two rows and enclosing (from left to right) a griffin, a dear, two hybrids, an elephant bearing a castle and a lion. The back cover is divided into three rectangles enclosing (from left to right) a lioness running after a rabbit, a dog running after a dragon and acanthus scroll. The spine is divided by five double cords. Between them it is tooled with two dragons and a tiger.

Decoration Program

I. Decorated Parashah signs: floral motifs, birds, dragons and animals (e.g. fols. 88, 113v, 119v).

II. The Massorah magna at the lower margins is written in geometrical and floral motifs such as: zigzags, lozenges, roundels, fleur-de-lis and a key (e.g. fol. 322).

III. Shaped text in geometrical forms (e.g. fol. 466v).

IV. Decorated catchwords surmounted by v-shaped strokes creating a triangle (e.g. fol. 360v).

 

Suggested Reconsdivuction
History/Provenance
Owner inscriptions: On the front pastedown: ישראל בר' פלטיאל", "Israel ben R. Paltiel" On fol. 1: עזריאל בר' פרץ ז"ל, "Azriel ben R. Peretz, his blessed memory". שלי ישר'[אל] בר חיים מלך', " Mine, Israel ben R. Hayyim Meleh". זה החומש של הנד'[יב] ר' פלטיאל בר' חיים\ מלך המכונ'[ה] וונץ, "This Pentateuch belongs to honorable Rabbi Paltiel ben R. Hayyim Melekh called Wontz". לעולם יחתום אדם על סיפרו\ שלא יבא איש אחר מין השוק\ ויומר שלי הוא לכל החמי' [החתום מטה?] פלטיאל\ בן הנד' ר' חיים מלך, "A man always has to sign his book in order other man who came "from the market" will not say that it's his [book]. Signed? [by] Paltiel son of R. Hayyim Melekh".
Main Surveys & Excavations
Sources
Schwarz, Catalogue A. Z. Schwarz, Die hebraeischen Handschriften der Nationalbibliothek in Wien, Leipzig 1925, No. 13.
Type
Documenter
Aliza Cohen-Mushlin and Ilona Steimann |
Author of description
Ilona Steimann |
Architectural Drawings
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Computer Reconstruction
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Section Head
Michal Sternthal |
Language Editor
|
Donor
|
Negative/Photo. No.
The following information on this monument will be completed:
Unknown |