Manuscript 61: Bible (Deuterocanonical), Ecclesiasticus (Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach) 13:1 - 16:22, Latin Vulgate
Title
Manuscript 61: Bible (Deuterocanonical), Ecclesiasticus (Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach) 13:1 - 16:22, Latin Vulgate
Date
Mid 15th Century
Description
Bible. Manuscripts, Latin, Old Testament. Ecclesiasticus. Manuscript leaf on vellum. In a book hand closely resembling the type of the Gutenberg Bible. Rubricated initials. Germany, ca. 1450. 48.5 x 35 cm. Chapter 13, verse one to chapter 16, verse 22.
Extent
44.2 x 31 cm Written Space: 30.5 x 19.7 cm
Physical Form
Manuscript
Type of Resource
Still Image
Note
Accession number: 925864
The recto is the hair side of the leaf. There are signs of wear and possibly of water damage around the three outside edges of the leaf. In the top right-hand corner (recto) the leaf is foliated in ink with the arabic numeral 26. Below the left column of text a hole in the leaf (about 1 in or 2.5 cm in diameter) has been repaired by the application of a piece of vellum onto the verso side of the leaf. There are a small number of small holes at the bottom of the manuscript, possibly the result of wear. On the verso side of the leaf three fragments of light blue cloth are attached to the leaf evenly spaced along the inside margin, presumably as part of the binding of the original manuscript; or they could be imprints of the cloth weave in remnants of the glue with which the cloth had once been attached to the leaf.
Both sides of the leaf have a centered header with the name of the Bible book, with the recto in blue "ASTICI" and verso in red "ECCLESI" so that the open manuscript would have read "ECCLESI + ASTICI."
Along the bottom margin of the recto side is written in pencil by a modern (20th century) US-American hand "Germany, 1450 AD Mss, Bible that closely resembles Gutenberg's printed Bible." In the bottom right-hand corner some pencil markings (possibly a numeral 2 and a word, and a numeral 1 and a word) can no longer be made out. The first numeral and adjacent markings may have been erased deliberately.
There are two columns with 48 lines of text each. The lineation of the columns (left and right-hand margin), the text lines and of the header lines is in ink. Bible chapters are indicated by use of alternating red and blue initials decorated with pen work in the reverse color, and by a roman numeral in red indicating the chapter number. Every sentence is indicated by the application of yellow coloring to the sentence capitals.
The text is in a late, very high-grade textura. There are a small number of marginal notes in a late medieval or early renaissance cursive.
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