A Psalterion containing Syriac translations of the Psalms of King David, prepared for use in the Church of the East. The start of the manuscript contains a series of illustrations, most of which are done as line drawings:. f. 1r : Saint Paul the Hermit, accompanied by a bird carrying a ring and two beasts (a lion and a wolf?). f. 1v : Mary, Mother of God, with the infant Jesus in her lap. f. 2r : King David playing a harp with the city of Jerusalem in the background. f. 2v : The Apostle Matthew, in mourning attire, wearing a hooded cloak, along with a large cane. f. 3r : John the Baptist, clothed and holding a scroll. f. 4r : A painted cross composed of multicoloured squares, surrounded by a border formed by lines interwoven in geometrical patterns. f. 4v : Saint Ephrem, painted in a robe and cloak while holding a Bible (?). The manuscript contains sporadic marginalia in Syriac and, occasionally, Coptic. The main text is written in the Estrangelā script in fairly small characters, occasionally carrying either Greek-inspired Western Syriac vocalization, or Eastern Syriac dotted vocalization. On f. 3v, a badly faded inscription in Syriac recounts that the book was acquired by Qašíšā ᶜabd alᶜazíz from the village of Mabarkā. Below this, a text in darker ink in Garshuni Arabic attests to the sale of the manuscript to Mār Yúsuf ben Daᵓnāᵓíl from the village of Karṭalah. On f. 5r, an inscription in Arabic recounts the sale, in the village of Sansalah (?) Al-Yūnāniyah, of this book by Qašíšā Ibrāhīm to Al-Ḥaqīr al-Khūrī al-Kūl ibn al-marḥūm Qasīs Ilyā from Mardin. Above this, text in Syriac states that this was in the year 1594 (1282 CE). The colophon on f. 182r states that the manuscript was copied in the year 1515 AG (1203 CE) in the monastery of learning accommodating foreigners/pilgrims (ܕܝܪܐ ܕܝܠܕܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܗܝ ܕܡܬܟܢܝܐ ܒܝܬ ܐܟܣܢܝܐ) named Mār Yaᶜqúb. It was copied by Šimᶜún, a brother at the monastery. The colophon is partially obscured by water damage on its outer edge, although there is also mention of the input or supervision of a priest from the village of Ṣalaḥ in the region of Turabdin. Folio 183v contains a Garshuni Arabic inscription stating that Baṭras Saḥanšiyah (?) acquired this book. The statement is undated. Folio 182v contains writing in Arabic that is too faded to read. Some of the folios are of irregular shape and have been repaired by the British Museum in order to fit the standard size of the binding. Other folios are water damaged and barely legible.
Ktābā Dawíd - ܟܬܒܐ ܕܘܝܕ.
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Add MS 7154
- Dates of Creation
- 1203
- Language of Material
- Arabic Coptic Syriac
- Physical Description
- 1 text 183 ff Materials : Parchment. Dimensions : 185 mm x 150 mm x 65 mm. Foliation : Western foliation, with occasional Syriac quire notation surrounded by floral illumination; 183 ff. Ruling : No text boxes, with a text area of approximately 120 mm x 82 mm, comprised of 17 lines. Script : Estrangelā. Ink : Main text in black ink with red titles and catchwords; illustrations in brown, red, yellow, green, blue, purple, orange and black inks. Binding : Western binding.
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
Formerly Or.3.A.e. The manuscript is incorrectly marked as Add Or 7154 on its flyleaf.
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquired from the Rich Collection (?)
Bibliography
This manuscript is listed as item X in. Josiah Forshall and Friedrich August Rosen, Catalogus Codicum Manuscriptorum Orientalium qui in Museo Britannico Asservantur: Pars Prima, Codices Syriacos et Carshunicos Amplectens (London: Impensis Curatorum Musei Britannici, 1838), pp. 8-11.