Tel Aviv-London, Private CollectionThe Magnificent Parchment

Tel Aviv-London, Private CollectionThe Magnificent Parchment

Shelfmark:
Tel Aviv-London, Private Collection, Recto
Date of Creation:
16th century
Dimensions:
276 × 71 cm
Material:
paper
Form:
rotulus
About the MS:
This manuscript, now in an anonymous private collection, is an early and well-preserved paper copy of the family of ilanot known as "The Magnificent Parchment." The copyist was evidently a scholar who avoided a mechanical reproduction of his source, instead optimizing text placement and providing reading cues for fragmented passages. Furthermore, he chose to censor certain elements, including the images of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues that appear in other luxury witnesses of this family. Despite the use of simple materials, the quality of craftsmanship in this ilan is exceptional.
Type:
Magnificent Parchment, Classical
Research Literature:
  • J. H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree (University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022), 64–65, 210–211, 375.