[Maḥazor minhag Roma le-Yom Kipur]. [מחזור מנהג רומה ליום כפור]. [Services for Day of Atonement according to the Italian or Roman Rite].
Details
Type of record: Archive
Title: [Maḥazor minhag Roma le-Yom Kipur]. [מחזור מנהג רומה ליום כפור]. [Services for Day of Atonement according to the Italian or Roman Rite].
Classmark: MS ROTH/1
Creator(s): Riviere & Son(Binder)
Date(s): [15th century]
Language: Hebrew
Size and medium: 135 leaves : parchment
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/115425
Description
Hebrew title supplied by cataloguer. English title supplied from Roth, “Catalogue,” in Alexander Marx: Jubilee Volume, vol. 1 (New York, 1950), no.1.
Alternative title:סידור ליום הכפורים כמנהג בני רומא.
Most scholars understand ‘minhag bene Roma', מנהג איטאליאני ( 'minhag Iṭalyani'), and מנהג לועזים (‘minhag Loʻazim’ ) as interchangeable terms, which were used to designate mostly the same set of prayers and practices since medieval times (see on this Ernst Daniel Goldschmidt, ‘The Rite of the Roman Jews’ [in Heb.], in Samuel David Luzzatto, Mavo le-maḥzor minhag bene Roma 1856 (Tel Aviv 726 [1966]), 79–102).
State of text: Outer upper corners of folio 1–8 are missing and repaired (not by professional conservator) with attached paper pieces on which the foliation is provided.
Some ink corrosion, and burning of the letters through the paper.
Bibliographical note:
Roth, “Catalogue ,” in Alexander Marx: Jubilee Volume, vol. 1 (New York, 1950), no. 1.
National Library of Israel (NLI), Online Catalogue, system-no. 000185580. The NLI’s description is based on the microfilm of Ms Roth 1 made on behalf of the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts of the NLI during the 1960s. The microfilm can now be downloaded in a digitised form from the NLI-webpage.
Davis, Handlist 164 (Leeds, 2005), no. 1.
Decoration
Standard decorative Maḥzor layout with the beginnings of the prayers in large square letters.
1: Some prayers are copied with poetic spacing in double or triple columns.
2: Size and type of the Italian Hebrew script is changing according to the content. Directions for cantor (ḥazan) and community are written usually in small Italian semi-cursive and cursive Hebrew script.
3: Substitution for Tetragrammaton and ornamental writing of 'Elokim.'
4: Linefillers and overall maintainance of left margin.
Physical characteristics
Dimensions of written space: 177 x 110 mm.
Dimensions of binding: 240 x 170 mm.
Foliation: i (paste-down) + 135 + i (paste-down); modern foliation in pencil.
Collation: 1–16⁸ 17⁸(wants 8; after folio 135, likely without loss of text).
Number of lines: 24 written to a page; frame-ruled in nearly indiscernible ink.
Number of columns: 2 or 3 (presence and dimension of columns irregular; lines per column irregular).
Catchwords: bottom of the left inner margin of the last leaf of quires [4] –[10].
Script: Italian semi-cursive and square Hebrew script
Ms. codex: width 160mm height 230mm
Binding
Quarter bound with black paper over boards; dark brown leather spine; both boards and spine are somewhat damaged, especially by pests. The inner side of the boards are covered with paper leaves from a Latin text printed in Italian rotunda (binding waste); the text on the back paste-down has the title “Consilium LIX: Allegationes pro nobili Oliverio septoris domino de cammontibus”; leaf edges are gilded.
The spine was stabilised with two, now deteriorating, pieces of adhesive tape. The upper tape is labelled on the spine with תפילות צום כפור כ[תב] י[ד].
The volume is held in a drop case made by the London firm ‘Riviere and Son’ (1881–1939), covered with dark blue morocco and lined inside with dark blue silk. The back of the drop case is gilt-lettered with "Service for the Atonement Italian manuscript (1460-1480)" (on 'Riviere and Son, see Howard M. Nixon, Five Centuries of English Bookbinding (London: Scolar Press, 1978), 218).
Vocalisation and cantillation
Standard Tiberian vocalisation.
Scribal information
The main text and one set of marginal notes are written in one hand (same distinctive substitute for the Tetragrammaton and ornamental writing of 'Elokim' throughout the manuscript). The Scribe uses mostly only one line filler,that is, elongated letters, and these rather sparsely. He more often writes until the edge of the frame, and adds the missing letters of the respective word outside of the frame. At least on one occasion, he even divides the word between two lines.
Former owners and annotations
There are two set of marginal notes, both of which are mainly corrections. One set is cleary written by the scribe of the main text, but it is unclear wether the other, in very small sqare script, was also written by the same hand.
Roth’s description of MS Roth 1, cut out from a copy of his printed catalogue, is glued on front paste-down. Below the cut-out, the bookplate, designed in a collaboration between Cecil Roth and the University of Leeds, is attached.
Access and usage
Access
This material is not subject to restrictions under Data Protection or other relevant legislation that might limit access. However, other protections, such as donor conditions or conservation considerations, may still apply where advised.