Commentary on Isaiah, Minor Prophets and the Five Scrolls, Manuscript on Parchment, Abraham Ibn Ezra [Italy, 14th Century]

3 volumes. Volume 1: 66 leaves (9 5/8 x 7 3/8 inches; 245 x 187 mm). 27 lines, ruled in hardpoint, written in brown ink in Italian semi-cursive script, catchwords, modern foliation in pencil (with errors, numbers 40-49 skipped), fol. 1 torn with some loss of text, fols.1-4 stained, fol. 70 loose, some passages erased by censor or out of fear of censorship in fols. 9v-10r, 61r-v, 74v. Paper over boards, cloth spine. Volume 2: 55 leaves (9 5/8 x 7 ¼ inches; 245 x 184 mm). Ruled in hardpoint, written in brown ink in Italian semi-cursive script, ornamented catchwords, modern foliation in pencil; outer margin of fol.10 cropped with slight loss of text, portions of margins lacking on fols. 45, 46, 55, not affecting text, dampstaining on fols. 54-55, with minor text loss. Marbled paper over boards. Volume 3 : 55 leaves. (9 1/8 x 7 3/8 inches; 245 x 187 mm). Ruled in hardpoint, pricked, 27 lines, written in brown ink in Italian semi-cursive script, catchwords, modern foliation in pencil. Marbled paper over boards.

Solomon Halberstam (shelf nos. 350, 352, 351); Montefiore Library- MS 33, 34, 40.

Hartwig Hirschfeld, Descriptive Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts of the Montefiore Library, London:1904 (mss. no. 33, 34, 40); Volume 1: A. Berliner, Die Geschichte der Juden in Rom, vol. 2, 1893, pp. 54-55; Ch. Chavel, Kitvei Rabbenu Moshe ben Nahman, 1963, pp. 321-328; Volume 2:  Riel Simon, Abraham ibn Ezra's Two Commentaries on the Minor Prophets, 1989 (in Hebrew); The Commentary of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra on Hosea, ed. A. Lipschitz, 1988; on Joseph of Morville, based on the present manuscript, see N. Golb, The Jews in Medieval Normandy, 1998, pp. 304-307; Volume 3: Gomez published ibn Ezra's commentary on Ecclesiastes using this manuscript (fols. 4r-31v), see his introduction, Mariano Gómez Aranda, El comentario de Abraham Ibn Ezra al Libro Eclesiastés (Madrid, 1994), pp. 77-78

Contents:

Volume 1, fols. 1r-73v: Ibn Ezra's commentary on the book of Isaiah. This volume contains copious marginal notes, with many signed Ze'ev. The word Ze'ev is the acronym for Zot Amar Binyamin [thus spoke Benjamin], referring to Benjamin ben Abraham min Anav the thirteenth-century Italian scholar and poet. The word Ze'ev also indicates the name Benjamin because the wolf, or in Hebrew, ze'ev, is the Biblical symbol for the tribe of that name (Genesis 49:27). Benjamin ben Abraham Anav was the brother of Zedekiah, author of Shibbolei ha-Leket. Additional marginal notes derive from the commentaries of David Kimhi and others.

Fols. 74v-76v: Nahmanides' commentary on the prophecy hinneh yaskil avdi (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

Volume 2 closes with a colophon by a student of Abraham ibn Ezra, who copied the author's original manuscript. He writes, "Abraham ibn Ezra completed it in 1156 in Rouen and it was copied by Joseph bar Jacob of Morville. He included some comments that he received orally from the author and graphically indicated the oral comments." Uriel Simon, author of Abraham ibn Ezra's Two Commentaries on the Minor Prophets, considers the present manuscript to be the most reliable text of the commentary and used it as the basis for his critical edition. A. Lipschitz, editor of The Commentary of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra on Hosea, also used this manuscript. Signed by the censors: Domenico Carretto, 1619 (fol. 55r); Domenico Irosolomitano, 1597 (fol. 55v); [Luigi da Bologna], 1597 (fol. 55v).

Volume 3 contains a commentary on the five megillot by Abraham ibn Ezra. This volume also contains marginal notes, with many signed Ze'ev.