Manuscritos Hebreos
Item
Country
ES
Name of institution (English)
Royal Library of El Escorial
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
spa
Contact information: postal address
Avenida D. Juan de Borbón y Battenberg 1, 28200 San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Madrid)
Contact information: phone number
0034 918905011
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
biblioteca.escorial@patrimonionacional.es
laurentina@rbmescorial.com
Reference number
G-
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Hebrew Manuscripts
Title (official language of the state)
Manuscritos Hebreos
Language of title
spa
Creator / accumulator
Real Biblioteca del Monasterio de El Escorial
Date note
15th century/16th century
Language(s)
heb
Extent
76 books
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
Although the El Escorial collection of Hebrew codices is small, it is nevertheless noteworthy due to the quality and rarity of some of its manuscripts. At present, it contains 76 Hebrew manuscripts. There is also a valuable collection of works printed in Hebrew from the 16th century, which is kept on shelf 83 and comprises about 150 volumes.
Some of the most impressive Hebrew codices include:
G-I-5: Spanish Hebrew manuscript of the Bible from Arias Montano’s private collection, which was used to compose the Antwerp Polyglot Bible.
G-I-3: 15th-century Babylonian Talmud containing the treatises Baba’ qama’, Baba’ meshi’a and Baba’ batra’.
G-I-14: Moshe ben Tibbón’s Hebrew translation of Averroes’s philosophical works. 13th century.
G-II-17: Shemuel ben Tibbón’s Hebrew translation of Maimonides’s Dalalat al-Ha’irin o Moré Nebukim. 14th century.
G-II-6: 13th-century copies of Rashi’s and David Kimhi’s commentaries.
G-I-6 and G-II-5: Grammatical codices, copied by Alfonso de Zamora in Alcalá de Henares. 16th century.
G-II-15: David Kimhi's Libro de las Raíces. c. 13th century.
G-II-11: Dictionary in Judeo-Arabic, an adaptation of ‘Muktasar al Ayin’ by Ibn al-Rabia b. Isa, copied in Seville by David Kohen ben Eliyahu ha-Kohen in 1386.
The collection also includes eight Hebrew commentaries of the Song of Songs (seven in semi-cursive Sephardic script and one in Italian script). Although the authorship of four of these manuscripts remains unknown, the others are attributed to Šemuel ben Yehuda ben Tibbon, dating from 1398, and to Gersonides, Šelomoh ha-Qabes ha-Levi, and Mošeh ben Yishaq Halayo.
Some of the most impressive Hebrew codices include:
G-I-5: Spanish Hebrew manuscript of the Bible from Arias Montano’s private collection, which was used to compose the Antwerp Polyglot Bible.
G-I-3: 15th-century Babylonian Talmud containing the treatises Baba’ qama’, Baba’ meshi’a and Baba’ batra’.
G-I-14: Moshe ben Tibbón’s Hebrew translation of Averroes’s philosophical works. 13th century.
G-II-17: Shemuel ben Tibbón’s Hebrew translation of Maimonides’s Dalalat al-Ha’irin o Moré Nebukim. 14th century.
G-II-6: 13th-century copies of Rashi’s and David Kimhi’s commentaries.
G-I-6 and G-II-5: Grammatical codices, copied by Alfonso de Zamora in Alcalá de Henares. 16th century.
G-II-15: David Kimhi's Libro de las Raíces. c. 13th century.
G-II-11: Dictionary in Judeo-Arabic, an adaptation of ‘Muktasar al Ayin’ by Ibn al-Rabia b. Isa, copied in Seville by David Kohen ben Eliyahu ha-Kohen in 1386.
The collection also includes eight Hebrew commentaries of the Song of Songs (seven in semi-cursive Sephardic script and one in Italian script). Although the authorship of four of these manuscripts remains unknown, the others are attributed to Šemuel ben Yehuda ben Tibbon, dating from 1398, and to Gersonides, Šelomoh ha-Qabes ha-Levi, and Mošeh ben Yishaq Halayo.
Archival history
The El Escorial collection of Hebrew manuscripts was composed of successive incorporations throughout the 16th and 17th centuries from private collections, such as those of Alfonso de Zamora (1474-1544), a rabbi converted to Christianity, Benito Arias Montado (1527-98), or Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (1503-75), and of several books confiscated by the Inquisition. Most of these manuscripts and codices were incorporated between 1572 and 1599.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Royal Library was founded by King Felipe II (1527-1598) in the Monastery of El Escorial under the fundamental ideas of Humanism and as a result of the king's intention to collect books. This Library is one of the leading exponents of Spanish Humanism, as personalities such as Juan Páez de Castro, Juan Bautista Cardona, Antonio Agustín, Ambrosio de Morales and Benito Arias Montano collaborated with the king in its configuration.
The first person in charge of the Library was Fray Juan de San Jerónimo. However, the title of First Librarian was attributed to Benito Arias Montano, the author of the Library's first catalogue. The quality of his work, which Fray José de Sigüenza continued, and the cataloguing work of Pérez Bayer in the 18th century initiated a process of catalogue development demonstrating the wealth of the Escorial Library.
The first person in charge of the Library was Fray Juan de San Jerónimo. However, the title of First Librarian was attributed to Benito Arias Montano, the author of the Library's first catalogue. The quality of his work, which Fray José de Sigüenza continued, and the cataloguing work of Pérez Bayer in the 18th century initiated a process of catalogue development demonstrating the wealth of the Escorial Library.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Finding aids
Links to finding aids
Existence and location of copies
Author of the description
Rui Queirós de Faria, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Real Biblioteca del Monasterio de El Escorial | Collections (official language of the state) |
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| כתיב (Ktiv) | Existence and location of originals |