Hebrew manuscripts of Heimann Joseph Michael

Hebrew manuscripts of Heimann Joseph Michael, late 13th-19th century, though most are 15th century or later. Talmud, Kabbalah, liturgy and theology are well represented.

Heimann Joseph Michael (1792-1846) read and collected Hebrew literature; he was the author of an encyclopedic work on medieval Jewish scholars. When he died his library contained some 860 manuscripts and 5471 printed books. See the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie for details.

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk).

The Bodleian purchased the manuscripts through Messrs. Asher & Co. in 1848. A manuscript list (MS. Michael 630) of the Oppenheimer collection, purchased in 1829, was sent by Bulkeley Bandinel to Moritz Steinschneider for cataloguing purposes. It was returned to the Library by Steinschneider's son in 1907.

The Library has a series of Hebrew manuscripts in part purchased from Mordecai and Ephraim Bisliches, booksellers in Berlin, in 1850 which are classed 'MSS. Michael Adds.'. This series may have no connection with Heimann Michael.

Collection level description created by Susan Thomas, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.

Brief descriptions are in Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series, with references to the oriental and other manuscripts (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. IV, nos. 23495-24125.

The manuscripts are also summarily described in the card catalogue, arranged by language, located in the Oriental Reading Room.

All of the manuscripts are described A. Neubauer and A.E. Cowley Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian library, and in the College Libraries of Oxford, 2 vols., Catalogi Codd. MSS. Bibliothecae Bodleianae pars xii, (Oxford, 1886-1906), vol. 1. More recently, a 'Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda', which has to be used in conjunction with Neubauer's Catalogue, was published (Oxford 1994).

An earlier catalogue of the manuscripts and printed books, Katalog der Michaelschen Bibliothek (Hamburg, 1848), was issued by Leopold Zunz and Moritz Steinschneider in 1848.

The manuscripts have been microfilmed by the Institute for Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts in Jerusalem. They are also available at the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York.

Heimann Michael's printed books are in the British Library.