General

Title

Tel Aviv and London (Israel and England), Private collection

Manuscript name

The Magnificent Parchment

Summary

This manuscript, now in an anonymous private collection, is an early and well-preserved paper copy of the family of ilanot known as "The Magnificent Parchment." The copyist was evidently a scholar who avoided a mechanical reproduction of his source, instead optimizing text placement and providing reading cues for fragmented passages. Furthermore, he chose to censor certain elements, including the images of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues that appear in other luxury witnesses of this family. Despite the use of simple materials, the quality of craftsmanship in this ilan is exceptional.

Support material

paper

Identifier

Tel Aviv-London, Private Collection

Research literature

J. H. Chajes, The Kabbalistic Tree (University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022), 64–65, 210–211, 375.

Creation time

Date

16th century