Manuscript leaf from a Bible, in Latin, produced in Northern France (probably Paris)

MS 5650/124

Manuscript leaf from a Bible, in Latin, produced in Northern France (probably Paris)

c.1275

Text: From a Bible, in Latin

Script: Praegothica

The leaf is from a Bible and shows the end of the Book of Ezra and the opening of the Book of Nehemiah.

The text is in a double column of fifty-one lines, written in a dark brown ink in a, small, early gothic bookhand; capitals are touched in red; rubrics are in red. There is one ten-line historiated initial ‘V’ (shown as a ‘U’), painted in red, blue, brown, beige, slate, black and white decoration with possibly raised and burnished gold, or a gold substitute. This is at the beginning of the Book of Nehemiah and encloses the figure of Nehemiah seated holding a book, with God appearing in the right-hand corner. There are also two three-line initials, ‘F’ at the beginning of the second chapter and extending down the border, and ‘E’ at the beginning of the third chapter.

In the Sotheby’s catalogue for the 1968 sale it is categorically stated that no gold is used. In the early part of the thirteenth century mosaic gold, consisting of a sulphide of tin (stannic sulphide - SnS2), was sometimes used as a substitute for real gold. It is thought that mosaic gold may have been used in this leaf.

On the verso is the heading ‘NEE’ (partly trimmed) and on the recto is the heading ‘MIE’. Thus the running heading would be ‘NEEMIE’, that is ‘Nehemiah’.

A related leaf appears in Phillip Pirages Catalogue 47, Item 9 and is described as coming from a manuscript (No. 116) formerly in the collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968), a Bible fragment sold as Lot 14 (to Alan Thomas and Charles Ede) in Beatty’s sale at Sotheby’s on 3rd December 1968. The finely painted miniature here, like others in this Beatty manuscript, are attributable to the so-called Dominican Painter, described in Robert Branner’s “Manuscript Painting in Paris during the Reign of Saint Louis” as “a rare and original painter”, a “technically expert and skilled” artist “who invested his figures with feelings.” This last trait is considered by Branner as “certainly his most outstanding characteristic, the one that carries him far beyond his contemporaries”. Single leaves from this Bible were catalogued by Thomas (Cats. 22, No. 1 and 23 Nos. 1-2), by Folio Art (Cat. 63, May of 1969, Nos. 761-764: “an outstanding manuscript”), and by Maggs (Bulletin 7, 1971, Nos. 1-2: “of fine quality”). Four leaves were sold by the Thomas sale in June of 1993 to Quaritch.

Our leaf is incorrectly described by Sotheby’s, in their catalogue, as coming from Jeremiah rather than Nehemiah.

Chapter and verse are shown below, in the transliteration, in square brackets.

References:

1 Christopher de Hamel, The Book. A History of The Bible, Phaidon, London, 2001.

2 Phillip J. Pirages, Catalogue 47, Item 9.

Transcription

Recto side, column 1:

1 [10:14] . . . [a]v(er)tatur ira dei n(ost)ri a nob(is) sup(er) p(e)cc(at)o no- [Ezra

2 stro . [10:15] Igitur ionathan filius asahel (et)

3 iaasia filius thecue stet(er)unt sup(er) hoc .

4 (et) mosollam (et) sebetai levites adiu-

5 verunt eos . [10:16] Fec(er)untq(ue) sic filii t(ra)nsmi-

6 grat(i)onis . (et) abierunt esdras sac(er)dos

7 (et) viri principes familiarum i(n) domos

8 p(at)r(u)m suorum (et) omnes p(er) nomina su-

9 a . Et sed(er)unt i(n) die primo m(en)sis decimi

10 ut quer(er)ent rem [10:17] (et) (con)summati su(n)t o(mne)s

11 viri qui dux(er)ant uxores alienigena(s)

12 usq(ue) ad diem primam mensis primi .

13 [10:18] (et) inventi sunt de filiis sac(er)dotum qui

14 dux(er)aunt uxores alienigenas . De fili- [should be ‘duxerant’

15 is iosue filii iosedech (et) f(rat)res eius maa-

16 sia (et) eliezer . (et) iarib (et) godolia . [10:19] Et deder(un)t

17 manus suas ut eicerent uxores sua(s)

18 (et) p(ro) delicto suo arietem de ovib(us) offer-

19 rent . [10:20] Et de filiis semmer . anani et ze-

20 bedia . [10:21] (et) de filiis serim . maasia (et) helia (et)

21 semia (et) iehiel (et) ozias . [10:22] (et) de filiis phes-

22 sur . helioenai . maasia (et) hismael . na-

23 thaniel (et) zorobabel (et) heboaza . [10:23] Et de fi-

24 ilis levitar(um) iozabeth (et) semei (et) seleia . [should be ‘filiis’

25 ip(s)e est calit aphataia . iuda . (et) eliezer .

26 [10:24] Et de cantorib(us) eliasub . (et) de ianitorib(us) .

27 sellum (et) thelle(m) (et) huri [10:25] (et) ex isr(ahe)l de fili-

28 is pharos reemia (et) ozoia et melchia (et)

29 miami(n) (et) eliezer (et) melchia (et) banaa [10:26] (et)

30 de filiis elam mathania (et) zacharia(s)

31 (et) hiehil (et) abdi (et) hierimoth (et) hehel . [10:27] (et)

32 de filiis zethua helioenai (et) eliasub (et)

33 nathania (et) hierimuth (et) iabeth et zazi-

34 za . [10:28] Et de filiis bebai . iohanna . anania

35 zebbai . athalia . [10:29] Et de filiis bani . mo-

36 sollam (et) meilrel (et) athaia . iasub (et) saal

37 (et) ramoth . [10:30] Et de filiis phaeth : moab .

38 edna . calal . banaias . masaias . Mata-

39 nias . beseleel (et) bennui . (et) manasse . [10:31] Et

40 de filiis erem : elieser . iesue . melchias .

41 semeias . Symeon . [10:32] beniamin . masoch .

42 samarias . [10:33] Et de filiis asom . mathaaa- [should be ‘mathana’

43 i . metheta . zabeth . elipheleth . g(ere)mai .

44 manasse . semei . [10:34] De filiis bani maad-

45 di . amram . (et) huel . [10:35] (et) baneas . (et) badaias

46 chenam . [10:36] Hani . amarimuth (et) eliasip .

47 [10:37] mathanias . mathania (et) iasi . [10:38] bani (et)

48 bennui . semei [10:39] (et) salmias (et) mathan . (et) [should be ‘nathan’

49 daias . [10:40] melchmedabai sisai sirai [10:41] esre .

50 (et) seremam . semeria . [10:42] sellum . amaria .

51 ioseph . [10:43] De filiis nebu ihaiel matha-

Recto side, column 2:

1 thias . zadeb . (et) zabina . reddu . (et) ioel banai

2 [10:44] Omnes hii accep(er)unt uxores alienige-

3 nas . (et) fuerunt ex eis mulieres q(ue) pep(er)e-

4 rant filios . Incipit liber neemie .

5 [1:1] V Erba neemie [Nehemiah

6 filii helchie .

7 Et f(a)c(tu)m est in

8 mense casleu

9 anno . xx(o) . et e- [vicesimo

10 go eram i(n) su-

11 sis castro . [1:2] et

12 venit ad me

13 anani unus

14 de f(rat)rib(us) m(e)is

15 ip(s)e et viri iuda . Et int(er)rogavi eos de iu-

16 deis qui sup(er)erant et remanserant de

17 captivitate et de ier(usa)l(e)m . [1:3] Et dix(er)unt m(ichi)

18 qui remanser(un)t et d(er)elicti sunt de capti-

19 vitate ibi in p(ro)vintia i(n) magna afflict(i)o-

20 ne sunt (et) in opp(ro)brio . (et) murus ier(usa)l(e)m [line filler]

21 dissipatus est . (et) porte eius combuste

22 sunt igni . [1:4] Cumq(ue) audissem v(er)ba h(u)i(us)ce-

23 modi sedi (et) flevi . (et) luxi dieb(us) inultis (et)

24 ieiunaui . (et) orabam ante faciem dei ce-

25 li . [1:5] (et) dixi . Queso domine deus celi . fortis

26 magne atq(ue) t(er)ribilis qui custodis pac-

27 tum et mi(sericordi)am cum hiis qui te dilig(en)t

28 (et) custodiunt mandata tua . [1:6] Fiant a(u)-

29 res tue ascultantes . (et) oculi tui aperti

30 ut audias or(ati)onem servi tui q(ua)m ego

31 oro coram te hodie . nocte et die pro fi-

32 liis isr(ahe)l . servis tuis . (et) confiteor p(ro) p(e)cc(at)is

33 filiorum isr(ahe)l quib(us) peccav(er)u(n)t tibi . (et) e-

34 go et domus p(at)ris mei peccavimus

35 tibi . [1:7] Vanitate seducti sumus . (et) no(n) c(us)-

36 todi(vi)mus mandatum tuum (et) c(er)imo-

37 nias . (et) iudicia q(ue) p(re)cepisti moysi famu-

38 lo tuo . [1:8] Mem(en)to verbi q(uo)d mandasti fa(mulo)

39 moysi servo tuo dicens . Cum trans-

40 gressi fu(er)itis ego disp(er)gam vos in po-

41 pulos . [1:9] (et) si rev(er)tamini ad me ut custo-

42 diatis p(re)cepta mea ut faciatis ea (etia)m

43 abducti fu(er)itis ad extrema celi : inde (con)-

44 g(re)gabo vos (et) inducam vos i(n) locum q(uem)

45 elegi ut h(ab)itaret nom(en) meum ibi . [1:10] Et

46 ip(s)i servi tui (et) p(o)p(u)l(u)s tuus quos redemi-

47 sti in fortitudine tua magna (et) in ma-

48 nu tua valida . [1:11] Obsecro domine sit a(u)-

49 ris tua attendens ad or(ati)onem servi

50 tui et ad or(ati)onem servorum tuor(um) q(ui)

51 volunt timere nom(en) tuum (et) dir[i]ge

Verso side, column 1:

1 servum tuum hodie . (et) da ei mi(sericordi)am :

2 ante virum hunc . Ego enim eram

3 pincerna regis . ~II~

4 [2:1] F Actum est autem in mense

5 nisan anno vicesimo arta(r)x(er)-

6 sis regis . (et) vinum erat ante

7 eum . (et) levavi vinum et dedi regi . (et) [non]

8 eram quasi languidus ante facie(m)

9 eius [2:2] Dixitque michi rex . Quare vul-

10 tus tuus tristis est cum te egrotu(m)

11 no(n) videam : Non est hoc frustra set

12 malum nescio quid in corde tuo e(st) . Et

13 timui valde ac nimis . [2:3] et dixi regi . Rex

14 in et(er)num vive . Q(ua)r(e) no(n) mereat vul-

15 tus meus q(uia) civitas domus sep(u)lcro-

16 rum p(at)ris mei deserta est . (et) porte eius

17 combuste sunt igni . [2:4] Et ait michi rex .

18 Pro qua re postulas ? Et oravi deum

19 celi . [2:5] (et) dixi ad regem . Si videtur bonu(m)

20 regi et si placet servus tuus an(te) faci-

21 em tuam ut mittas me in iudeam ob-

22 secro ad civitatem sepulcri patris

23 mei et edificabo eam . [2:6] Dix(it)q(ue) m(ichi) rex . (et)

24 regina que sedebat iuxta eum . Usq(ue)

25 ad q(uo)d tempus erit iter tuum . (et) q(ua)n(do)

26 reverteris ? Et placui[t] an(te) vultum

27 regis . (et) misit me et constitui ei t(em)p(u)s

28 [2:7] (et) dixi regi . Si regi videtur bonum e-

29 pistolas det michi ad duces regio-

30 nis trans flumen ut t(ra)nsduca(n)t me

31 donec veniam in iudeam . [2:8] (et) ep(istu)lam [line filler]

32 ad asaph custodem saltus regis : ut

33 det michi ligna ut tegere possim por

34 tas templi domus (et) muri civitatis

35 (et) domu(m) quam ingressus fuero . Et de-

36 dit michi rex iuxta manum d(e)i mei

37 bonam mecum . [2:9] Et veni ad duces re-

38 gionis trans flumen : dediq(ue) eis epi-

39 stolas regis . Miserat autem rex me-

40 cum principes militum et equites .

41 [2:10] (et) audierunt sanaballat horonites .

42 et tobias servus amanites . (et) (con)trista-

43 ti sunt afflict(i)one magna q(uo)d venis-

44 set h(om)o qui quereret prosp(er)itatem [line filler]

45 filiorum isr(ahe)l . [2:11] Et veni ier(usa)l(e)m : ete-

46 ram ibi tribus dieb(us) . [2:12] Et surrexi noc-

47 te ego . (et) viri pauci mecum . (et) no(n) in-

48 dicavi cuiquam quid dominus de-

49 disset i(n) corde meo ut fac(er)em i(n) ier(usa)l(e)m .

50 Et ium(en)tum entum n(on) erat mec(um) . ni-

51 si animal cui sedebam . [2:13] Et ingressus

Verso side, column 2:

1 sum p(er) portam nocte (et) ante fontem

2 draconis . (et) ad portam stercoris . (et) (con)si-

3 d(er)abam murum ier(usa)l(e)m dissipatum . (et)

4 portas eius consumptas igni . [2:14] Et t(ra)n-

5 sivi ad portam fontis (et) ad aq(ue)ductu(m)

6 regis . (et) no(n) erat locus iumento cui se-

7 debam ut transiret . [2:15] Et ascendi p(er) tor-

8 rentem nocte . (et) considerabam nocte

9 murum . (et) reversus veni ad portam

10 vallis (et) redii . [2:16] Magistratus aute(m) nes-

11 ciebant quo abissem aut quid ego fa-

12 cerem . S(ed) (et) iudeis (et) sacerdotib(us) (et) opti-

13 matib(us) (et) magistratib(us) (et) reliquis qui

14 faciebant opus usq(ue) ad id locorum

15 nich(il) indicaveram . [2:17] (et) dixi eis . Vos no-

16 stis afflictionem in qua sumus q(uia)

17 ier(usa)l(e)m deserta est . (et) porte eius (con)sump-

18 te sunt igni . Venite et edificemus

19 ier(usa)l(e)m . (et) no(n) simus ultra opp(ro)brium [2:18] (et)

20 indicavi eis manum dei mei q(uo)d ess(et)

21 bona mecum . (et) v(er)ba regis que locut(us)

22 est michi . (et) aio . Surgamus (et) edifice-

23 mus . (et) edifice confortate sunt man(us)

24 eorum in bono . [2:19] Audierunt autem

25 sanaballat horonites . (et) tobias ser-

26 vus amatithes . (et) gosem arabs . (et)

27 subsannav(eru)nt nos (et) despex(er)unt . dixe-

28 runtq(ue) . Que nam est h(ec) res q(ua)m faci-

29 tis . Numquid contra regem vos re-

30 bellatis : [2:20] Et reddidi eis sermonem :

31 dixiq(ue) ad eos . Deus celi ip(s)e nos iuvat

32 (et) nos servi eius sumus . Surgamus

33 (et) edificemus . Nobis autem no(n) est p(ar)s

34 et iusticia (et) memoria in ier(usa)l(e)m . ~III~

35 [3:1] E T surrexit eliasip sac(er)dos mag-

36 nus . (et) f(rat)res eius sacerdotes . (et)

37 edificav(eru)nt portam gregis .

38 Ip(s)i eam sanctificaverunt (et) statue-

39 runt valvas eius . (et) usq(ue) ad turre(m) . c . [centum

40 cubitorum s(an)c(t)ificav(eru)nt eam usq(ue) ad

41 turrem ananeel . [3:2] Et iuxta eum edi-

42 ficaverunt viri iericho . (et) iuxta eu(m)

43 edificavit zaccur filius amri . [3:3] Porta(m)

44 a(utem) piscium edificav(eru)nt filii asnaa .

45 Ip(s)i a(t)tex(er)unt eam (et) statueru(n)t val-

46 vas eius (et) seras (et) vectes . Et iuxta e-

47 os edificavit marimuth filius u-

48 rie . filii aceus . [3:4] Et iuxta eos edifi-

49 cavit mosollam filius barachie .

50 filii mesezebel . Et iuxta eum edifi-

51 cavit sadoch filius baana . [3:5] (et) iuxta . . .

Notes:

A Letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,y,z.

Capitals: A,C,D,E,F,H,I,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U/V.

B Versals: E,F,V.

C Alternative forms of letters ‘d’(2), ‘i’(2), ‘m’(2), ‘r’(3) and ‘s’(4).

Both forms of ‘d’ are used in ‘reddu’ (recto 2, line 1).

Note the occasional use of a sideways ‘m’, written rather like a ‘3’, at the end of

words, e.g. in ‘deum’ (verso 1, line 18).

Note the use of a small capital ‘R’, e.g. in ‘offerrent’ (recto 1, lines 18-19), and in

‘levitarum’ (recto 1, line 24) where it forms part of the ‘rum’ abbreviation.

Note the use of a trailing ‘s’, e.g. in ‘eius’ (verso 1, line 16).

Note use of ‘c’ form of trailing ‘s’ in ‘tempus’ (verso 1, line 27).

The letter ‘y’ is not dotted.

An unusual form of ‘n’ occurs in ‘manus’ (verso 2, line 23).

D Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘bo’, ‘dd’, ‘de’, ‘do’, ‘he’, ‘ho’, ‘oc’, ‘od’, ‘oe’, ‘og’,

‘pc’, ‘pe’, ‘po’ and ‘pp’, and possibly others.

E Elison between letters ‘ci’, ‘ti’ and ‘tu’, and possibly others.

F Ascenders on letters ‘b’, ‘d’, ‘h’ and ‘l’ are very short

G Hairlines occur on ‘h’, ‘x’ and ‘z’.

H Ligature between letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘est’ (recto 1, line 25).

I Frequent use of, generally uncrossed, Tironian ‘et’ (e.g. recto 1, line 4).

J Abbreviation of ‘super’ (recto 1, line 3).

K Abbreviation of ‘patrum’ (recto 1, line 8).

L Abbreviation of ‘consummati’ (recto 1, line 10).

M Abbreviation of ‘omnes’ (recto 1, line 10).

N Abbreviation of ‘usque’ (recto 1, line 12).

O Abbreviation of ‘fratres’ (recto 1, line 15).

P Abbreviation of ‘pro’ (recto 1, line 18).

Q Abbreviation of ‘israhel’ (recto 1, line 27).

R Abbreviation of ‘factum’ (recto 2, line 7).

S Abbreviation of ‘fratribus’ (recto 2, line 14).

T Abbreviation of ‘ierusalem’ (recto 2, line 17).

U Abbreviation of ‘michi’ (recto 2, line 17).

V In ‘opprobrio’ (recto 2, line 20) the bar crossing the descender of the first ‘p’

indicates the missing ‘ro’ after the second ‘p’.

W Abbreviation of ‘misericordiam’ (recto 2, line 27).

X Abbreviation of ‘quam’ (recto 2, line 30).

Y Abbreviation of ‘quod’ (recto 2, line 38).

Z Abbreviation of ‘populus’ (recto 2, line 46).

AA Abbreviation of ‘quia’ (verso 1, line 15).

AB Abbreviation of ‘quando’ (verso 1, line 25).

AC Abbreviation of ‘tempus’ (verso 1, line 27).

AD Abbreviation of ‘Sed’ (verso 2, line 12).

AE Abbreviation of ‘nichil’ (verso 2, line 15).

AF Abbreviation of ‘esset’ (verso 2, line 20).

AG Abbreviation of ‘hec’ (verso 2, line 28).

AH Abbreviation of ‘centum’ (verso 2, line 39).

AI Abbreviation of ‘autem’ (verso 2, line 44).

AJ Use of a question mark punctuation, e.g. in verso 1, line 18.

AK A small line filler of the letter ‘i’ with a deletion line below occurs at the end

of some lines (e.g. recto 2, line 20).

MS 124

Latin

1 leaf

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Material: Vellum leaf