Maḥzor (Gaster Hebrew MS 1461)
Incomplete, small-sized prayer book (maḥzor) apparently of the rite of Corfu, containing prayer texts and liturgical poems for the seven days of Sukkot in Hebrew with extensive Hebrew liturgical instructions. Originally the mahzor must also have contained prayers and liturgical poems for (at least) Passover and Shavuot in view of the references to the other two pilgrim festivals in the text (see e.g 1a, 3a, 9a). Most of the text is vocalised. The tentative link with Corfu can be made due to the inclusion of a poem by Abraham ben Gabriel Zechariah of Corfu on folio 34a and the mention of 'Korfu' on the front paste-down by a modern hand. For a similar manuscript see Gaster Hebrew MS 1460.
Information about this document
- Physical Location: The John Rylands Library
- Collection: Hebrew Manuscripts
- Classmark: Gaster Hebrew MS 1461
- Alternative Identifier(s): Gaster 1461
- Title: Maḥzor
- Alternative Title(s): מחזור; Prayer book
- Language(s): Hebrew
- Origin Place: Corfu
- Date of Creation: 17th or 18th century.
- Former Owner(s): Gaster, Moses 1856-1939
- Note(s):
The codex must represent a section of a larger text: it is incomplete both at the beginning, where the text begins in the middle of a rubric, and at the end, where a catchword appears. On the first pages we find the following:
Psalm 76 (1a-b).
Liturgical poem 1 (2a-b). Incipit: אתלונן בצל מחורב בסכוך מנוצלי חורב. Alphabetical acrostic poem for the first evening service of Sukkot. Cf. א 8910.
Numbers 29:12, Leviticus 23:4 and Exodus 31:16-7 (3a).
Benediction followed by liturgical poem 2 (3b-4a). Incipit: יצב גבול שמם למקדש אשר שמם. Acrostic poem (reshut) by Isaac ibn Ghiyyat forming the name Isaac [יצחק]. Cf. י 3490. - Format: Codex
- Material(s): Paper
- Extent: 65 ff. (i+64) Leaf height: 140 mm, width: 103 mm. Written height: 101 mm, width: 75 mm.
- Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the bottom half of the outer margin of side a of each folio.
- Collation:
Catchwords at the bottom left corner of most pages, in semi-cursive script.
- Condition:
Bookworm holes towards spine.
- Layout:
Long line with maximum 15 written lines.
- Script:Oriental square script for the main textOriental semi-cursive script for the rubrics and catchwords
- Binding:
Brown marbled paper covering cardboard boards.
- Origin:
The rite suggests that the codex was produced in Corfu, most likely in the 17th or 18th century.
- Provenance:Handwritten label on spine with number 1461.
Front paste-down: "Korfu" in lead pencil, "Sukkoth" in ink and "1461" in blue crayon. - Acquisition: Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster in 1954.
- Date of Acquisition: 1954
- Data Source(s): Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri and Renate Smithuis.
Revised by Zsófia Buda.
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- Physical Location: The John Rylands Library
- Collection: Hebrew Manuscripts
- Classmark: Gaster Hebrew MS 1461
- Alternative Identifier(s): Gaster 1461
- Title: Maḥzor
- Alternative Title(s): מחזור; Prayer book
- Language(s): Hebrew
- Origin Place: Corfu
- Date of Creation: 17th or 18th century.
- Former Owner(s): Gaster, Moses 1856-1939
- Note(s):
The codex must represent a section of a larger text: it is incomplete both at the beginning, where the text begins in the middle of a rubric, and at the end, where a catchword appears. On the first pages we find the following:
Psalm 76 (1a-b).
Liturgical poem 1 (2a-b). Incipit: אתלונן בצל מחורב בסכוך מנוצלי חורב. Alphabetical acrostic poem for the first evening service of Sukkot. Cf. א 8910.
Numbers 29:12, Leviticus 23:4 and Exodus 31:16-7 (3a).
Benediction followed by liturgical poem 2 (3b-4a). Incipit: יצב גבול שמם למקדש אשר שמם. Acrostic poem (reshut) by Isaac ibn Ghiyyat forming the name Isaac [יצחק]. Cf. י 3490. - Format: Codex
- Material(s): Paper
- Extent: 65 ff. (i+64) Leaf height: 140 mm, width: 103 mm. Written height: 101 mm, width: 75 mm.
- Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation in Arabic numerals at the bottom half of the outer margin of side a of each folio.
- Collation:
Catchwords at the bottom left corner of most pages, in semi-cursive script.
- Condition:
Bookworm holes towards spine.
- Layout:
Long line with maximum 15 written lines.
- Script:Oriental square script for the main textOriental semi-cursive script for the rubrics and catchwords
- Binding:
Brown marbled paper covering cardboard boards.
- Origin:
The rite suggests that the codex was produced in Corfu, most likely in the 17th or 18th century.
- Provenance:Handwritten label on spine with number 1461.
Front paste-down: "Korfu" in lead pencil, "Sukkoth" in ink and "1461" in blue crayon. - Acquisition: Acquired by The John Rylands Library from the heirs of Moses Gaster in 1954.
- Date of Acquisition: 1954
- Data Source(s): Description based on Alexander Samely's unpublished draft catalogue, revised and expanded by Stefania Silvestri and Renate Smithuis.
Revised by Zsófia Buda.
