DOI issue:
Artykuły / Articles
DOI article:Budzioch, Dagmara; Tomal, Maciej: The manuskript of the Moreh Nevuchim from the collection of the National Museum in Krakow
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31060#0154
Dagmara Budzioch, Maciej Tomal
although the letters freąuently cross the linę (to avoid it, the copyist stretched or narrowed
sonie letters; sometimes he wrote the words above the lines). On a standard page are usu-
ally two equal parallel columns of text around 45 x 138 mm, while the space between them
is 13 mm. There are 28 lines of text in an average column. No vowel signs are present in
the Hebrew text.
Although the text is mostly very well planned on the page, some irregularities occur.
For instance on page 324, where a certain part of the text ends, only one column is left
while the following page is left blank. Sometimes marginal notes, written in brown ink, are
madę in sąuare or cursive script working mostly as reminders of which term is discussed
in the relevant fragment. The text itself is written in black ink of two shades: deep black
and brighter black with the domination of the former. The script used may be described as
Italian semi-cursive script which could be dated to the 14th/15th century (as confirmed by
the datę in the colophon). In our codex the letters are usually 2-2.5 mm high. Sometimes
the copyist uses higher characters - of 4 mm - signing in that way the numbers of chapters
and also the items of Ibn Tibbons dictionary. For higher letters he used different pen. Out
of the first parchment sheet of the codex only about one third has been preserved, while
the rest is apparently cut off. Tliis leaf may be referred to as a Latin title page of the work
as it bears an inscription that reads: “Morę Nevuchim Ebraice in pergameno”. On the top
of the page traces of other texts may be detected. One word in Hebrew seems to be certain
- [shel] - which is the particie of genitive and may express ownership among other
meanings. One could guess, therefore, that a name of one of the (Hebrew) owners of the
manuscript was written there, but was removed afterwards.
On the third page of the manuscript there is the only ornament present in the whole
codex. The word opening Maimonides’ opus magnum - ,_Q1 [divre] is gilded (red base-
coat comes through the thin layer of gold) and the letters are signihcantly bigger than the
others (with a height of 20 mm). In fact they represent a totally different type of writing
than used in the main body of the text, as the letters were drawn, not written. Additionally,
the letters include ornaments. They are flanked by rich purple dominated filigree decora-
tion with red and golden floral motifs. This spreads downwards along the inner margin.
The figures of birds are conspicuous, a rooster among them, and also a naked human
figurę holding one birds taił. Additionally, at the bottom of the page there is a monkey
drawn in ink. On the same page two stamps are visible. In one of them a phrase: “Cenzura
Ksiąg Żydowskich” (Censorship of Jewish Books) can be easily read, while the rest ot the
text inscribed is rather yague.1 In the central part of the stamp a two-headed eagle with
crown and cross is depicted (fig. 1). The presented. codex includes the complete text of
Ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation of Moreh Nevuchim. In the Arabie original as well as in
the Hebrew translation the whole work is divided into three major parts-volumes. In our
manuscript each of the three is marked by enlarged letters. The first part with 76 chapters
covers in our codex pages 24-184. The second part consisting of 48 chapters starts at page
185 and ends at page 324; on the last page the text is written in one column only, triangle
shaped to the bottom of the sheet. Two words in Hebrew are added here ’7\y DTTVH [be-
ezrat shadday) “with the help of Almighty [God]”. The third and the last part of the work,
Except for “wezw”.
although the letters freąuently cross the linę (to avoid it, the copyist stretched or narrowed
sonie letters; sometimes he wrote the words above the lines). On a standard page are usu-
ally two equal parallel columns of text around 45 x 138 mm, while the space between them
is 13 mm. There are 28 lines of text in an average column. No vowel signs are present in
the Hebrew text.
Although the text is mostly very well planned on the page, some irregularities occur.
For instance on page 324, where a certain part of the text ends, only one column is left
while the following page is left blank. Sometimes marginal notes, written in brown ink, are
madę in sąuare or cursive script working mostly as reminders of which term is discussed
in the relevant fragment. The text itself is written in black ink of two shades: deep black
and brighter black with the domination of the former. The script used may be described as
Italian semi-cursive script which could be dated to the 14th/15th century (as confirmed by
the datę in the colophon). In our codex the letters are usually 2-2.5 mm high. Sometimes
the copyist uses higher characters - of 4 mm - signing in that way the numbers of chapters
and also the items of Ibn Tibbons dictionary. For higher letters he used different pen. Out
of the first parchment sheet of the codex only about one third has been preserved, while
the rest is apparently cut off. Tliis leaf may be referred to as a Latin title page of the work
as it bears an inscription that reads: “Morę Nevuchim Ebraice in pergameno”. On the top
of the page traces of other texts may be detected. One word in Hebrew seems to be certain
- [shel] - which is the particie of genitive and may express ownership among other
meanings. One could guess, therefore, that a name of one of the (Hebrew) owners of the
manuscript was written there, but was removed afterwards.
On the third page of the manuscript there is the only ornament present in the whole
codex. The word opening Maimonides’ opus magnum - ,_Q1 [divre] is gilded (red base-
coat comes through the thin layer of gold) and the letters are signihcantly bigger than the
others (with a height of 20 mm). In fact they represent a totally different type of writing
than used in the main body of the text, as the letters were drawn, not written. Additionally,
the letters include ornaments. They are flanked by rich purple dominated filigree decora-
tion with red and golden floral motifs. This spreads downwards along the inner margin.
The figures of birds are conspicuous, a rooster among them, and also a naked human
figurę holding one birds taił. Additionally, at the bottom of the page there is a monkey
drawn in ink. On the same page two stamps are visible. In one of them a phrase: “Cenzura
Ksiąg Żydowskich” (Censorship of Jewish Books) can be easily read, while the rest ot the
text inscribed is rather yague.1 In the central part of the stamp a two-headed eagle with
crown and cross is depicted (fig. 1). The presented. codex includes the complete text of
Ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation of Moreh Nevuchim. In the Arabie original as well as in
the Hebrew translation the whole work is divided into three major parts-volumes. In our
manuscript each of the three is marked by enlarged letters. The first part with 76 chapters
covers in our codex pages 24-184. The second part consisting of 48 chapters starts at page
185 and ends at page 324; on the last page the text is written in one column only, triangle
shaped to the bottom of the sheet. Two words in Hebrew are added here ’7\y DTTVH [be-
ezrat shadday) “with the help of Almighty [God]”. The third and the last part of the work,
Except for “wezw”.