Binding: 19th century paper boards (pink); with imprint details and shelfmark on the spine.Contents note: Incomplete: includes the books of Hosea, Joel and parts of Amos.Contents note: The book was printed between 1485 and 1486 in Italy but a later owner has added a marginal annotations in Hebrew, in his 16th or 17th century hand (probably in Italy).Dimensions: 268 × 197 × 10 mm (size of binding); ca. 262 × 187 mm (size of leaf).Layout: Main biblical text has been printed in square script, the commentary surrounds the main text and is printed in semi-cursive script.Record origin: Material Evidence in Incunabula catalogue: http://data.cerl.org/mei/02124375.
Binding: Late 18th or early 19th century calf over pasteboards, with gold-tooled borders; sewn onto five supports; with imprint details (in gilt) and shelfmark on the spine; text block edges stained red.Contents note: Includes the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Hezekiel.Contents note: The book was printed between 1485 and 1486 in Italy but a later owner has added incipit to the book of Isaiah, vocalisation, marginal annotations and corrections in Hebrew, in his 16th century hand (probably in Italy).Dimensions: 241 × 194 × 35 mm (size of binding); ca. 234 × 175 mm (size of leaf).Layout: Main biblical text has been printed in square script, the commentary surrounds the main text and is printed in semi-cursive script.Record origin: Material Evidence in Incunabula catalogue: http://data.cerl.org/mei/02124374.
Binding: Late 18th or early 19th century calf over pasteboards, with gold-tooled borders; sewn onto four supports; with imprint details (in gilt) and shelfmark on the spine.Contents note: Incomplete: includes only Prophets and Writings; some text in manuscript.Contents note: The book was printed in 1494 in Italy but later owners have added marginal annotations and personal notes in Hebrew, in 16th and 17th century hands (probably in Italy).Dimensions: 155 × 114 × 71 mm (size of binding); ca. 144 × 102 mm (size of leaf).Layout: Main biblical text has been printed in square type script, with vocalisation.Record origin: Material Evidence in Incunabula catalogue: https://data.cerl.org/mei/02124063.
Binding: 18th century English sprinkled calf over pasteboards, with blind-tooled borders; sewn onto six supports; evidence of chaining (staple holes towards the edge of lower board); with imprint details and shelfmark on the spine; text block edges sprinkled red.Contents note: Incomplete: includes only the books of Job, Canticles and Ecclesiastes.Contents note: The book was printed in 1487 but later owners have added marginal annotations and corrections in Hebrew, in 16th and 17th century hands (probably in Italy).Decoration: Coloured and decorated woodcut initial word panels at the beginning of books of Job (folio 2r) and Song of Songs (folio 49v).Dimensions: 275 x 207 x 20 mm (size of binding). ca. 270 x 196 mm (size of leaf).Layout: Main biblical text has been printed in square script and is vocalised; the commentaries surround the main text and are printed in semi-cursive script.Record origin: Material Evidence in Incunabula catalogue https://data.cerl.org/mei/02123705.
Binding: Late 18th or early 19th century calf over pasteboards, with gold-tooled borders; sewn onto five supports; with imprint details (in gilt) and shelfmark on the spine; text block edges stained red.Contents note: Incomplete: includes the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel (1-2) and Kings (1-2).Contents note: The book was printed in 1485 but later owners have added marginal annotations and corrections in Hebrew, as well as chapter numbers, in 16th and 17th century hands.Decoration: Decorated (manuscript) incipit of the book of Kings (fol. 108v) and woodcut decorated initial word panels at the beginning of the books of Joshua (fol. 2r) and Judges (fol. 44v).Dimensions: 271 x 208 x 37 mm (size of binding); ca. 264 x 192 mm (size of leaf).Layout: Main biblical text has been printed in square script, the commentary surrounds the main text and is printed in semi-cursive script.Record origin: Material Evidence in Incunabula catalogue https://data.cerl.org/mei/02124371.
Binding: Late 18th or early 19th century English vellum with blind-tooled borders; sewn onto three supports; with shelfmark on the spine.Contents: Hebrew words with Latin and Greek translations, and biblical references.Contents note: Inscribed on pastedown of upper board: ‘Anno 1779. Ludovicus Bagot, Aedis Christi Decanus dono dedit librum hunc ab Edvardo Griffith A.B. ex aula Magdaleno, Oxon. conscriptum Edv. Griffith obiit 1753’.Dimensions: 223 x 174 x 28 mm (size of binding); ca. 216-199 x 165 mm (size of leaf)Hand: 18th century hand.Layout: Text written in two columns, from left to right; first column is in Hebrew, arranged alphabetically and the second column is in Latin, with biblical references and translations in Latin and Greek.Record origin: Description based on Kitchin, Catalogus Codicum MSS. qui in Bibliotheca Aedis Christi apud Oxonienses (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1867).
Binding: "17th century calf over pasteboards; pairs of blind fillets towards outer edges of boards; pairs of blind fillets forming inner rectangle design; blind stamped corner pieces (fleurons) to inner rectangle; sewn on five supports; raised bands and blind tooling on spine; blind roll tooled decoration around board edges; evidence of chaining (staple holes towards edge of lower fore-edge); text block edges sprinkled red; spine labelled '16'."Full catalogue description in SOLOContents: MER.119.f.17(1): ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Ibrāhīm Zanjānī, Kitāb al-tasrīf taʼlīf al-Shaykh al-Imāmi, (pp. i-120). MER.119.f.17(2): Isaac ben Joseph Karo, Zeh sefer Toldot Yitsḥaḳ : perush ʻal ha-Torah (ff. 1a-99b). MER.119.f.17(3): Midrash ha-neʿelam on Genesis (ff. 1a-58b). Responsa concerning tsitsit and Shabbat (ff. 59a-60a). Zohar on certain parashiyot, mostly from the book of Leviticus (ff. 60b-111b). Colophon (f. 111b). Zohar on parashat Pekude; Heikhalot (ff. 112a-124b).Dimensions: 266 x 200 x 59 mm (size of binding); ca. 260 x 198 mm (size of leaf).Record origin: Description provided by Rahel Fronda.
The letters of the Persian prince and satrap (governor) of Egypt Arshama to Nakhthor, the steward of his estates in Egypt, are rare survivors from the ancient Achaemenid empire. These fascinating documents offer a vivid snapshot of linguistic, social, economic, cultural, organizational and political aspects of the Achaemenid empire as lived by a member of the elite and his entourage. Arshama, prince of the royal house and satrap (governor) of Egypt in the fifth century BC, was also a great landowner, holding estates in Egypt as well as in Babylonia (modern Iraq) where he also spent time. In Egypt, Arshama’s “house” was administered by his steward (paqyd) Nakhthor. Arshama’s letters to Nakhthor, two leather bags and clay sealings, entered the Bodleian Library in 1944. They were written on leather, folded concertina-wise and closed with string and a lump of clay bearing Arshama’s seal. Once read, they were stored in a bag. The letters are written in Aramaic, a widely diffused Semitic language used for administrative purposes in the Persian empire. Arshama’s instructions would have been spoken in Persian, written down in Aramaic, read by an Egyptian and finally annotated in Egyptian, exemplifying a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual empire.
The letters of the Persian prince and satrap (governor) of Egypt Arshama to Nakhthor, the steward of his estates in Egypt, are rare survivors from the ancient Achaemenid empire. These fascinating documents offer a vivid snapshot of linguistic, social, economic, cultural, organizational and political aspects of the Achaemenid empire as lived by a member of the elite and his entourage. Arshama, prince of the royal house and satrap (governor) of Egypt in the fifth century BC, was also a great landowner, holding estates in Egypt as well as in Babylonia (modern Iraq) where he also spent time. In Egypt, Arshama’s “house” was administered by his steward (paqyd) Nakhthor. Arshama’s letters to Nakhthor, two leather bags and clay sealings, entered the Bodleian Library in 1944. They were written on leather, folded concertina-wise and closed with string and a lump of clay bearing Arshama’s seal. Once read, they were stored in a bag. The letters are written in Aramaic, a widely diffused Semitic language used for administrative purposes in the Persian empire. Arshama’s instructions would have been spoken in Persian, written down in Aramaic, read by an Egyptian and finally annotated in Egyptian, exemplifying a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual empire.
The letters of the Persian prince and satrap (governor) of Egypt Arshama to Nakhthor, the steward of his estates in Egypt, are rare survivors from the ancient Achaemenid empire. These fascinating documents offer a vivid snapshot of linguistic, social, economic, cultural, organizational and political aspects of the Achaemenid empire as lived by a member of the elite and his entourage. Arshama, prince of the royal house and satrap (governor) of Egypt in the fifth century BC, was also a great landowner, holding estates in Egypt as well as in Babylonia (modern Iraq) where he also spent time. In Egypt, Arshama’s “house” was administered by his steward (paqyd) Nakhthor. Arshama’s letters to Nakhthor, two leather bags and clay sealings, entered the Bodleian Library in 1944. They were written on leather, folded concertina-wise and closed with string and a lump of clay bearing Arshama’s seal. Once read, they were stored in a bag. The letters are written in Aramaic, a widely diffused Semitic language used for administrative purposes in the Persian empire. Arshama’s instructions would have been spoken in Persian, written down in Aramaic, read by an Egyptian and finally annotated in Egyptian, exemplifying a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual empire.