Auction 58 - Rare and Important Items
Four Handwritten Volumes, the Five Books of the Torah - Tafsir Rasag in Judeo-Arabic - with Mesorah Gedolah, Mesorah Ketanah, and Machberot HaTijan - Micrographic Illustrations - Sana'a, Yemen, 1698 - Handwriting of the Dayan R. Moshe Elkati'i
Opening: $6,000
Sold for: $23,750
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Five Books of the Torah, with Rashi commentary, Targum Onkelos, Tafsir R. Saadia Gaon [Judeo-Arabic translation], with the Mesorah Gedolah and the Mesorah Ketanah, Haftarot and Machberet HaTijan. [Yemen, apparently Sana'a, 1698].
Impressive manuscript, in charming Yemenite script, composed of the Five Books of the Torah. Bound in four volumes. Highly artistic scribal writing. Nice-looking typography with uniform spaces between the columns: The text of the Torah appears in the center in square vowelized letters with te'amim, surrounded by Targum Onkelos and the Judeo-Arabic translation in semi-cursive script [Targum and Tafsir verse per verse. Targum with Babylonian supralinear punctuation]. The Rashi commentary in smaller letters encompasses these two translations. The Mesorah Ketanah markings appear in the space between the Torah and the translations. In this space, at the beginning of all 54 weekly portions, appears a Star of David illustration. The text of the Mesorah Gedolah is written in the upper or lower margins.
The composition Machberet HaTijan [explanation of the grammar of the Holy Tongue] appears at the beginning of the first volume, lacking the beginning.
At the beginning of Vol. 3 - two pages adorned with artistic micrographic "carpets" composed of verses from Tehillim, followed by a Judeo-Arabic composition on grammar and te'amei hamikra (tropes). Apparently, the original place of these leaves was at the beginning of the first volume, before the Machberet HaTijan.
Bound at the end of the second volume and at the end of the fourth volume are the haftarot of all the Shabbatot and Festivals, with an Aramaic translation. Text and translation, verse per verse. The Hebrew is punctuated under the letters, whereas the translation has supralinear punctuation.
In Vol. 4, at the end of Sefer Devarim, is the scribe's colophon: "This pure Torah has been completed in 1698… by the behest of my good friend… Yosef ibn Avraham ibn R. Yosef HaCohen Alaraki… the scribe Moshe ibn Saadia ibn Yehuda Alkati'i…".
The scribe, R. Moshe (Musa) ben Saadia ben Yehuda Kati'i (Alkati'i), a leading Yemenite sage, dayan and scribe, was born in Sana'a in 1640. He served as dayan in Sana'a and signed court rulings from 1698 (see: Encyclopedia L'Chachmei Teiman). He died in 1715 he was a prominent leader of the expatriates of the Mawza Exile, later chosen as dayan and Rosh Bet Din of Sana'a. His name is included in the list of the sages who instituted regulations after the exile. He was a prolific scribe and 11 manuscripts which he copied during 1677-1706 are known (see full details in Encyclopedia L'Chachmei Teiman, p. 569), not including this manuscript (which is not listed ibid). He was among the Mawza exiles in 1679, and joined the Ra'avad Mori Shlomo Manzeli, Mori Yichye-Zecharia HaLevi and Mori Shalom Tawili in instituting various regulations. The Maharitz mentions his name regarding a regulation concerning hosha'anot, which he heard from his grandfather Mori Tzalach the Dayan.
4 volumes. Vol. Bereshit: [103] leaves. Vol. Shemot: [125] leaves (including one blank leaf). Vol. Vayikra-Bamidbar: [128] leaves. Vol. Devarim: [114] leaves. 28 cm. High-quality coated European paper. Condition varies. Most leaves are in good or good-fair condition, some in fair condition. A few leaves have substantial open tears affecting text, four leaves are fragmented (half or less of the leaf remains). Stains. Tears and damages (professionally repaired). New handsome leather bindings.
Impressive manuscript, in charming Yemenite script, composed of the Five Books of the Torah. Bound in four volumes. Highly artistic scribal writing. Nice-looking typography with uniform spaces between the columns: The text of the Torah appears in the center in square vowelized letters with te'amim, surrounded by Targum Onkelos and the Judeo-Arabic translation in semi-cursive script [Targum and Tafsir verse per verse. Targum with Babylonian supralinear punctuation]. The Rashi commentary in smaller letters encompasses these two translations. The Mesorah Ketanah markings appear in the space between the Torah and the translations. In this space, at the beginning of all 54 weekly portions, appears a Star of David illustration. The text of the Mesorah Gedolah is written in the upper or lower margins.
The composition Machberet HaTijan [explanation of the grammar of the Holy Tongue] appears at the beginning of the first volume, lacking the beginning.
At the beginning of Vol. 3 - two pages adorned with artistic micrographic "carpets" composed of verses from Tehillim, followed by a Judeo-Arabic composition on grammar and te'amei hamikra (tropes). Apparently, the original place of these leaves was at the beginning of the first volume, before the Machberet HaTijan.
Bound at the end of the second volume and at the end of the fourth volume are the haftarot of all the Shabbatot and Festivals, with an Aramaic translation. Text and translation, verse per verse. The Hebrew is punctuated under the letters, whereas the translation has supralinear punctuation.
In Vol. 4, at the end of Sefer Devarim, is the scribe's colophon: "This pure Torah has been completed in 1698… by the behest of my good friend… Yosef ibn Avraham ibn R. Yosef HaCohen Alaraki… the scribe Moshe ibn Saadia ibn Yehuda Alkati'i…".
The scribe, R. Moshe (Musa) ben Saadia ben Yehuda Kati'i (Alkati'i), a leading Yemenite sage, dayan and scribe, was born in Sana'a in 1640. He served as dayan in Sana'a and signed court rulings from 1698 (see: Encyclopedia L'Chachmei Teiman). He died in 1715 he was a prominent leader of the expatriates of the Mawza Exile, later chosen as dayan and Rosh Bet Din of Sana'a. His name is included in the list of the sages who instituted regulations after the exile. He was a prolific scribe and 11 manuscripts which he copied during 1677-1706 are known (see full details in Encyclopedia L'Chachmei Teiman, p. 569), not including this manuscript (which is not listed ibid). He was among the Mawza exiles in 1679, and joined the Ra'avad Mori Shlomo Manzeli, Mori Yichye-Zecharia HaLevi and Mori Shalom Tawili in instituting various regulations. The Maharitz mentions his name regarding a regulation concerning hosha'anot, which he heard from his grandfather Mori Tzalach the Dayan.
4 volumes. Vol. Bereshit: [103] leaves. Vol. Shemot: [125] leaves (including one blank leaf). Vol. Vayikra-Bamidbar: [128] leaves. Vol. Devarim: [114] leaves. 28 cm. High-quality coated European paper. Condition varies. Most leaves are in good or good-fair condition, some in fair condition. A few leaves have substantial open tears affecting text, four leaves are fragmented (half or less of the leaf remains). Stains. Tears and damages (professionally repaired). New handsome leather bindings.