Nevi'im. Yirmiyahu. Large Codex on Parchment - Unfamiliar Script. 13th Century

Nevi'im. Yirmiyahu. Large Codex on Parchment - Unfamiliar Script. 13th Century

"Codex" [מִצְחָף] is the designation for ancient books written not in a scroll format, but in a page-by-page format, similar to the books in use today.

Latin origin of the name: Caudex - book or anthology. The original meaning of the Latin term is "tree trunk" due to the wooden boards used for writing.

The origin of mitzchaf is Arabic, and it already appears in books by the geonim. This term refers to handwritten works that have been bound and are read in a book format: page after page. The text appears on both sides of each page, as in today's printed books.

Especially large manuscript, arranged in three columns, [20] lines per column. Block Oriental script in an unfamiliar style, with Tiberian vowelization, c. 13th century. Ink on parchment.

This manuscript bears a passage from Sefer Yirmiyahu:

Page 1: 33:13 "Count them, says Hashem" to "Thus said Hashem."

Page 2: "If my covenant would not be ..." and ends at 34:7 "while the army of the king of Babylon battles..."

Several notes on mesorah-hagedolah and -haketanah on the side of the text.

[1] leaf, taken from a binding. Expert's confirmation included.

Maximum dimensions 277x338 mm.

Moderate-fine condition. Aging stains. Fading and peeling ink. Several perforations and ink smudges, with a slight blemish to the text. Tears in the margins, some have undergone delicate professional restoration.