JTS MS L44a · Hilleli copy

1241 CE · The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary

Torah
Pentateuch
Codex

A Pentateuch in three volumes (424 leaves of parchment) copied in Toledo by Israel ben Isaac ben Israel for Abraham ben Solomon ben Abidarham, finished Sivan 5001 (1241). The colophon claims the codex is an exact transcription of the Hilleli — a celebrated 7th-century Masoretic codex now lost. The scribe's accuracy was praised by Rishonim including the Radak and the Meiri, making this an important surviving witness to the Hilleli tradition.

Scribe: Israel ben Isaac ben Israel
Place of origin: Toledo, Spain
Provenance: Toledo, Spain → Louis Rabinowitz collection → JTS
Holding institution: The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary
Image attribution: Image courtesy of The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary (MS L44a). Digitization funded by the Morris & Beverly Baker Foundation.