Maimonides' commentary on the Mishnah on parchment. Yemen, 15th century.

The commentary on the ...

Maimonides' commentary on the Mishnah on parchment. Yemen, 15th century.

The commentary on the Mishnah is written in Arabic with Hebrew letters, covering Tractate Keilim, Chapter 9, Mishnae 6-9 and Chapter 10, Mishna 1.

The text of the Mishnah is written in Hebrew with Hebrew letters, and the commentary is also in Arabic with Hebrew letters.

[2] Parchment sheets removed from a geniza. 18X20 cm, with an additional small fragment of 2 lines.

Condition: Moderate to poor, stains, insect holes, tears, and faded and broken letters.

During the Middle Ages, bookbinders used Jewish manuscripts as bindings for books. Jewish books were available and common, as the church and authorities frequently confiscated and burned these books. Additionally, Jews left books behind in their homes after pogroms and expulsions. One example of this is the decree to confiscate and burn books in Paris in 1240. In recent years, many attempts have been made to locate these manuscripts hidden within bindings in European libraries. Thus, ironically, the efforts to confiscate and destroy the books actually helped preserve them. Although the condition of these manuscripts was significantly damaged due to their use as bindings, many texts have still been preserved, and this can be seen as a spiritual victory for the Jewish people.