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London, British Library, BL Oriental 494

Eugenia Sokolinski

This manuscript description is based on the catalogues listed in the Catalogue Bibliography

Under Review
https://betamasaheft.eu/BLorient494
British Library[view repository]

Collection: Oriental

Other identifiers: Wright cat. XVIII, Wright 18

Places IndexPersons IndexGeneralDescriptionPhysical Description
Main parts
CatalogueAuthors

General description

Old Testament Wisdom books

Number of Text units: 7

Number of Codicological units: 2

For a table of all relations from and to this record, please go to the Relations view. In the Relations boxes on the right of this page, you can also find all available relations grouped by name.

Origin

Provenance

The manuscript had very probably belonged to a church in the Gondar↗ area, from where it was taken by Tewodros II and brought to Madḫāne ʿĀlam↗ . It was then looted by the British Napier expedition in 1868.

Catalogue Bibliography

  • Wright, W. 1877. Catalogue of the Ethiopic Manuscripts in the British Museum Acquired since the Year 1847 (London: Gilbert and Rivington, 1877). page 16a-17b
    ZoteroOther citations

Physical Description

Form of support

Parchment Codex

Extent

49 (leaf) .Entered as 49 (The codex consists of 48 folia. check the viewerFol. 49 is a leaf of scroll format, more than double the length of the other folia, folded and possibly glued to a guard.) 9.8 9.8
Outer dimensions
Height 9.8in
Width 9.8in

Foliation

Foliation in the upper right corner by the library.

Quire Structure Collation

Collation diagrams


1, stub after 9
Quire ID:q1, number:1
Collation diagram Quire 1 1 Unit #1 Unit #2 Unit #3 Unit #4 Unit #5


Quire ID:q2, number:2
Collation diagram Quire 2 10 21 Unit #1 Unit #2 Unit #3 Unit #4 Unit #5 Unit #6


Quire ID:q3, number:3
Collation diagram Quire 3 22 31 Unit #1 Unit #2 Unit #3 Unit #4 Unit #5


Quire ID:q4, number:4
Collation diagram Quire 4 32 35 Unit #1 Unit #2


Quire ID:q5, number:5
Collation diagram Quire 5 36 39 Unit #1 Unit #2

1, stub after 9
Quire ID:q6, number:6
Collation diagram Quire 6 40 Unit #1 Unit #2 Unit #3 Unit #4 Unit #5

1, s.l.
Quire ID:q7, number:7
Collation diagram Quire 7 49 49 Unit #1

Ethio-SPaRe formula : I(8+1/s.l. 1, stub after 9/No image availableFols 1r–9v) – II(12/No image availableFols 10r–21v) – III(10/No image availableFols 22r–31v) – IV(4/No image availableFols 32r–35v) – V(4/No image availableFols 36r–39v) – VI(8+1/s.l. 1, stub after 9/No image availableFols 40r–48v) – VII(1/No image availableFol. 49) –

Formula: No image availableFols 1r–9v 1, stub after 9 ; No image availableFols 10r–21v ; No image availableFols 22r–31v ; No image availableFols 32r–35v ; No image availableFols 36r–39v ; No image availableFols 40r–48v 1, stub after 9 ; No image availableFol. 49 1, s.l. ;

Formula 1: 1 (), 2 (12), 3 (10), 4 (4), 5 (4), 6 (), 7 (1),

Formula 2: 1 (), 2 (12), 3 (10), 4 (4), 5 (4), 6 (), 7 (1),

State of preservation

good

Condition

Binding

Binding material

wood

leather

Original binding

Yes

Codicological Unit p1

Origin of codicological unit 1

(dating on palaeographic grounds)

Summary of codicological unit 1

  1. p1_i1 (check the viewerFols 2r–10v ), Proverbs
  2. p1_i2 (check the viewerFols 10v–17r ), Ṭǝbaba Salomon
  3. p1_i3 (check the viewerFols 17r–19v ), Ecclesiastes
  4. p1_i4 (check the viewerFols 20r–21v ), Song of Songs
  5. p1_i5 (check the viewerFols 22r–39v ), Book of Sirach
  6. p1_i9 (check the viewerFols 40r–47v ), Daniel, Book of (includes Daniel, Susanna and Bel and the Dragon)

Contents

check the viewerFols 17r–19v Ecclesiastes (CAe 1320)

Colophon

ተፈጸመ፡ በዝየ፡ ጥበቢሁ፡ ለኢያሱ፡ ወልደ፡ ሲራክ። ዘተጽሕፈ፡ በ፰፻ወ፱፻ወ፸ዓመት።

(The colophon provides the date AM 6970 = AD 1478, probably the date of the MS from which this volume was copied.)
check the viewerFols 20r–21v Song of Songs (CAe 2362)

Rubric : ዘሰሎሞን፡ ጠቢብ፡ በረከተ፡ ጸሎቱ፡ ወሀብተ፡ ረድኤቱ፡ የሀሉ፡ ምስለ፡ ፍቁራኒሁ፡ ... ፡ .... ፡ ለዓለመ፡ (sic)

(The names of the owners have been erased from the heading.)
check the viewerFols 40r–47v Daniel, Book of (includes Daniel, Susanna and Bel and the Dragon) (CAe 3529)

Rubric : ዘዳንኤል፡ ነቢይ፡ በረከቱ፡ ወበረከተ፡ አምላኩ ፤ ወሀብተ፡ ረድኤቱ፡ ትኩን፡ ምስለ፡ ፍቁራ[ኒሁ፡......፡ ወ]ኢሳይያስ፡ አሜን።

(The name of one of the original owners, Isaiah owner , has been left in the heading and similarly in the subscription.)

Additions of codicological unit 1 In this unit there are in total 1 , 7 s, 2 .

  1. check the viewerFol. 1v (Type: OwnershipNote)

    The note states that the manuscript belongs to the church of Madḫāne ʿAlam↗

    ( gez ) ምሳሌያተ፡ ሰሎሞን፡ ዘመድኃኔ፡ አለም።

  2. check the viewerFol. 21v (Type: GuestText)

    A short account of the Prophets, beginning with Job:

    Then follow various chronological data:

    down to ʿAlamīd, concluding as follows:

    ( gez ) ነገረ፡ ትንቢቶሙ፡ ለነቢያት። ቀዳማይ፡ ኢዮብ፡ ተነበየ፡ ፵ዓመተ፡ ወእምድኅሬሁ፡ ሙሴ፡ ተነበየ፡ ፵ዓመተ፡ ቅድመ፡ ልደተ፡ እግዚእነ፡ በሥጋ፡ ፲ወ፬፻፱ወ፭ዓመት ፤ etc.

    ( gez ) እስከ፡ አይኅ፡ ኮነ፡ ዓመት፡ ፳፻ወ፪፻፵ወ፪ዓመት ፤ እምአብርሃም፡ እስከ፡ ጸዓተ፡ እስራኤል፡ እምግብፅ፡ ፬፻ወ፴፩ዓመት፤ etc.

    ( gez ) ወእምዓለሚድ፡ እስከ፡ ሣልስ፡ መንግሥተ፡ አሮዌ፡ ፸ወ፯ዓመት፡ ወ፯አውራኅ ፤ ወሲሳዩ፡ ለአር ዌ ፤ ዘዕለት፡ ፲አስዋር፡ ወ፲አልሕምት፡ ፫፻ ዓባግዕ ፤ ፫፻አጣሌ፡ ወትዕሊፊተ፡ (sic) አዕላፋት፡ አዕዋፍ፡ ወአሐቲ፡ ወለት፡ ዮንግልት ፤ ወቀሙ፡ ፸በዕመት፡ ወግድሙ፡ ፳ወስነኒሁ፡ ፩በዕመት።

  3. check the viewerFol. 47v (Type: GuestText)

    King list (general record) (CAe 3852) Lists of kings of Judah and Israel↗ , the Prophets, and the High-priests.

  4. check the viewerFol. 48r (Type: GuestText)

    Explanation of Hebrew words: ( gez ) ትርጓሜ፡ ዘእብራይስጥ፡ ውስተ፡ ግዕዝ ፤ ኤሎሄ፡ ብሂል፡ አምላክ። አዶይ፡ (sic) ብሂል፡ እግዚእ ፤ ጸባኦት፡ ብሂል፡ ዘኃይላት፤ etc.

  5. check the viewerFol. 48r (Type: GuestText)

    A statement on the number of the Kings of Israel, the sum-total of their years, etc.

  6. check the viewerFol. 48r (Type: GuestText)

    A piece entitled ምሳሌ፡ ቤተ፡ መቅደስ፡ or Comparison of the Temple , beginning ( gez ) ቀዳማዊ፡ መደብ፡ ይትሜሰል፡ በምድር። ወካልዕ፡ መደብ፡ ይት፡ በገነት ፤ ወሣልስ፡ መ፡ ይ፡ በጠፈር ፤ ወራብዕ፡ መ፡ ይ፡ በአርያም ፤ etc.

  7. check the viewerFol. 48v (Type: GuestText)

    A list of the various alphabets or modes of writing ( gez ) ሀለዉ፡ መጻሕፍት፡ ዘኍልቆሙ፡ ፳፡ ፰ዘቤተ፡ ሴም፡ ዘ ውእቶሙ፡ ዐረቢ፡ ሶርያዊ፡ አዢዕብራዊ፡ (sic) ፋርሳዊ፡ ከለደዊ፡ ህንዲ፡ ሲኒ፡ ወለቤተ፡ ካም፡ ፯፡ ቅብጢ፡ ኖቢ፡ ሐበሺ፡ ቂልቂ፡ ፍልስጢኒ፡ ቁብኒ፡ ወለቤተ፡ ያፌት፡ ፯ዮናኒ፡ ሮሚዊ፡ አርማንያዊ፡ አፍርንጋዊ፡ ጌርጋኒ፡ እንልሲ። and a list of words explained in Amharic.

  8. check the viewerFol. 1v (Type: Gloss)

    A list of words (not Ethiopic) glossed in Amharic, but for the most part indistinctly written. ( am ) ሚርጔ፡ ዘቀኝ፡ ሲታ፡ ዘግራ፡ ዓልቴ፡ ዘ፡ ዋልህ፡ ቡልቴ፡ አደርህ፡ ያዴ፡ ዘ፡ ናፈቀ፡ ሐደት፡ ዘ፡ አሰበ፡ ነገደ፡ ዘ፡ እንት፡ አለህ፡ etc.

  9. check the viewerFol. 1r (Type: GuestText)

    the first sūra of the Qurʾān, rudely written in Arabic. Text in Arabic

  10. check the viewerFols 44r–46v (Type: Gloss)

    Song of Songs is copiously glossed, cp. also BL orient 495.

Physical Description of codicological unit 1

Form of support of codicological unit 1

Parchment Codex

Extent of codicological unit 1

48 (leaf) : Entered as 48 check the viewerFols 1–48

State of preservation of codicological unit 1

good

Condition

Layout of codicological unit 1

Layout note 1

Number of columns: 3

Number of lines: 36

Ruling of codicological unit 1
  • (Subtype: pattern)1A-1A-1A1A-1A1A/0-0/0-0/C
  • The upper line is written above the ruling, the lower line is written above the ruling.
Pricking of codicological unit 1
  • Pricking and ruling are visible.
  • Primary pricks are mostly visible, horizontal pricks are mostly visible.

Palaeography of codicological unit 1

  • Hand 1

    of codicological unit 1

    Script: Ethiopic

    Ink: Black, red

    Date: 1700-1800

    Good hand of the 18th century. 1700-1800

    • Codicological Unit p2

    Summary of codicological unit 2

    1. p2_i1 (check the viewerFol. 49r ), Daniel, Book of (includes Daniel, Susanna and Bel and the Dragon)

    Contents

    Physical Description of codicological unit 2

    Form of support of codicological unit 2

    Parchment Leaf

    Extent of codicological unit 2

    1 (leaf) : Entered as 1 check the viewerFol. 49

    State of preservation of codicological unit 2

    good

    Condition

    Layout of codicological unit 2

    Layout note 1

    Number of columns: 1

    Number of lines: 135

    Pricking of codicological unit 2
    • Pricking and ruling are not visible.

      Publication Statement

      authority
      Hiob-Ludolf-Zentrum für Äthiopistik
      pubPlace
      Hamburg
      publisher
      Die Schriftkultur des christlichen Äthiopiens und Eritreas: Eine multimediale Forschungsumgebung / Beta maṣāḥǝft
      availability

      This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.

      date
      2017-01-17
      date
      type=expanded
      2.6.2022 at 15:04:49
      date
      type=lastModified
      31.5.2022
      idno
      type=collection
      manuscripts
      idno
      type=url
      https://betamasaheft.eu/manuscripts/BLorient494/main
      idno
      type=URI
      https://betamasaheft.eu/BLorient494
      idno
      type=filename
      BLorient494.xml
      idno
      type=ID
      BLorient494

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    Suggested citation of this record

    Eugenia Sokolinski, Dorothea Reule, ʻLondon, British Library, BL Oriental 494 (encoded from the catalogue)ʼ, in Die Schriftkultur des christlichen Äthiopiens und Eritreas: Eine multimediale Forschungsumgebung / Beta maṣāḥǝft (Last Modified: 2022-05-31) https://betamasaheft.eu/manuscripts/BLorient494 [Accessed: 2024-12-17]

    To cite a precise version, please, click on load permalinks and to the desired version (see documentation on permalinks), then import the metadata or copy the below, with the correct link.

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    Revision history

    • Dorothea Reule Dorothea Reule: Added collation and layout, split into msParts on 31.5.2022
    • Dorothea Reule Dorothea Reule: Added link to images on 26.11.2020
    • Dorothea Reule Dorothea Reule: Corrected catalogue reference, updated keywords on 1.11.2019
    • Eugenia Sokolinski Eugenia Sokolinski: completed entry on 19.1.2017
    • Eugenia Sokolinski Eugenia Sokolinski: Created catalogue entry on 5.1.2017
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    Attribution of the content

    Dorothea Reule, contributor

    This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.