Parashah Booklet (Isaac ben Abraham ha-Levi)

Isaac ben Abraham ha-Levi

1106/7

Book open to two facing pages, with a damaged gold geometric and floral pattern with blue and black details. — This magnificently decorated booklet of a single Torah portion (Shelaḥ; Numbers 13–15) was likely produced somewhere in Persia. It is written in charcoal ink, not commonly found in medieval Hebrew manuscripts, and has other characteristics unique to Persia. The manuscript contains carpet pages (illuminated full pages with little to no text), Masorah (see Masoretes, “Masorah”), and decorations. The colophon specifies the name of the scribe, Isaac ben Abraham ha-Levi, who wrote and vocalized the text.

Book open to two facing pages, containing large Hebrew with gold borders above and below, and gold geometric and floral decorations with blue outlines and accents alongside, all surrounded by smaller, vowelless notes and a diagram. — This magnificently decorated booklet of a single Torah portion (Shelaḥ; Numbers 13–15) was likely produced somewhere in Persia. It is written in charcoal ink, not commonly found in medieval Hebrew manuscripts, and has other characteristics unique to Persia. The manuscript contains carpet pages (illuminated full pages with little to no text), Masorah (see Masoretes, “Masorah”), and decorations. The colophon specifies the name of the scribe, Isaac ben Abraham ha-Levi, who wrote and vocalized the text.

Book open to two facing pages containing large Hebrew writing, with a decorative blue and gold image to the left containing a few small Hebrew words, the final word in outline preceded by a small circular decoration, and smaller, vowelless notes in the margins. — This magnificently decorated booklet of a single Torah portion (Shelaḥ; Numbers 13–15) was likely produced somewhere in Persia. It is written in charcoal ink, not commonly found in medieval Hebrew manuscripts, and has other characteristics unique to Persia. The manuscript contains carpet pages (illuminated full pages with little to no text), Masorah (see Masoretes, “Masorah”), and decorations. The colophon specifies the name of the scribe, Isaac ben Abraham ha-Levi, who wrote and vocalized the text.

Book open to two facing pages, the right page with a gold, black, and blue geometric and floral design, and the left page with six lines of vowelless Hebrew text surrounded by a gold border, with a smaller note beside. — This magnificently decorated booklet of a single Torah portion (Shelaḥ; Numbers 13–15) was likely produced somewhere in Persia. It is written in charcoal ink, not commonly found in medieval Hebrew manuscripts, and has other characteristics unique to Persia. The manuscript contains carpet pages (illuminated full pages with little to no text), Masorah (see Masoretes, “Masorah”), and decorations. The colophon specifies the name of the scribe, Isaac ben Abraham ha-Levi, who wrote and vocalized the text.

Credits

Source: The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel MS Heb. 28°2238, fol. 2v and 3r.
Source: The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel MS Heb. 28°2238, fol. 3v and 4r.
Source: The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel MS Heb. 28°2238, fol. 32v and 33r.
Source: The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel MS Heb. 28°2238, fol. 33v and 34r.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.

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