Hebrew Manuscripts of the Middle Ages

Abstract

Introduction Language and alphabets The number of manuscripts in Hebrew characters Printed texts and manuscripts texts Texts in Hebrew characters and Jewish ideas The currents of Jewish tought Readears and writers of manuscripts in Hebrew letters Texts and books Part I - Texts BEFORE THE MIDDLE AGES To the second century CE From the second to seventh centuries CE From the seventh to the ninth centuries CE THE MIDDLE AGES The Bile and its studies Legal texts Prayers and liturgical poetry Secular literature Mysticism and kabbalah Philosophy and science Miscellaneous writings Part II - Books Codicology Writing: calligraphic and personal scripts The scribe Appendix: abbreviations, acrostics and the meaning of the Hebrew letters Part III - The history of books and texts The life and death of manuscripts Libraries Question of method: codicology and palaeography Texts, copies and text-editions Judgement on readings and the edition of texts Part IV - Some manuscripts Solomon ibn Gabirol: Liturgical poem (Azharot) Joseph ben Simon Kara: Commentary on Isaiah Commentary on the vision of Ezekiel from Ashkenazic pietist work Al-Bitruji: Digest of Celestial Physics, from Judah ben Solomon ha-Kohen's Exposition of Science Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil: Small book of Commandments Isaac Israeli: Treatise on Urines The Book of the Pietists, long recension Maimonides: Guide of the Perplexed Abraham ben Alexander of Cologne: Keter Shem Tov On Stones