Obj. ID: 37
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts  First Kaufmann Mishneh Torah, France, 1296 (and 1413)

The scribe Nathan bar Shimon Halevi copied the manuscript between Thursday 9 Iyar 5055 (26 April 1295) and 8 Elul 5056 (8 August 1296). [Volume IV, fol. 143v].

A second scribe, Ephraim ha-Levi added the Haggahot Maimuniyyot in the margins in Cologne between the years 1411-1413. [see Colophons in Volume VI fol. 153v and fol. 169v].

Four sale contracts appear in 16th century semi-cursive Italian Hebrew script in Volume I:

1. fol. 1r: Sold by Menahem bar Naftali to Solomon bar Samuel in Ferrara on Sunday 21 of first Adar (5)242 (10 February, 1482).
2. Sold by Solomon bar Samuel to Meir bar Shalom and to Samuel bar Yehudah of Norsa on Sunday 10 august (5)248 (1488).
3. Sold by Meir bar Solomon to Mattatyah bar Shabetai of Nors on Friday 2 of April 1501.
4. Sold by Jacob bar Nathanel of Didato to Daniel bar Solomon on Wednesday 8 February 1520.

Censors' signatures appear in all four volumes, each contains three names: Alessandro Scipione, 1597; Domenico Carretto, 1612; Domenico Irosolimitano, 1612. [I, fol. 159v; II, fol. 169v; III, fol. 153v; IV, fols. 169, 169v].

Purchased by Professor David Kaufmann, head of the Jewish Theological Seminar in Budapest, from the collection of the Trieste brothers in Padova.

After Kaufmann's death in 1905, the manuscript was donated by his mother-in-law Roza Gomperz to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest.