Hora'at ha-Edim ve-ha-Dayyanim, [North Africa, 18th century]

A collection of works on divination and casting of lots, some of these treatises in this volume are found in other manuscripts such as London, British Library Or. 10659. One of the works on geomancy in seven (actually eight) "paths" (fols. 15r-17v) is attributed in other manuscripts to Abraham ibn Ezra. This manuscript, as in the British Library codex, begins with the fifth path. Another work on divination on fols. 17v-36v is also found in the British Library manuscript.

Sotheby’s is grateful to Menahem Schmelzer z”l and Benjamin Richler for cataloguing this manuscript.

Physical Description

54 leaves on paper, 9 ½ x 6 ¾ inches; 240 x 170 mm, written in Maghrebi semi-cursive script in brown ink, original foliation in ink, modern foliation in pencil; first three leaves lacking, last leaf mounted with significant loss, worm-trails on many leaves some of which are mended, repaired tears, some marginal spotting and staining, library stamps on first and last pages. Library buckram.

Literature

Hirschfeld (ms. no. 437)