Manuscript, Machbarot Immanuel, by Immanuel son of Shlomo of Rome. [Amsterdam, ca. 1780s].
Neat copying, portions of text in square script (vocalized) and other portions in Rashi script.
Illustrated title frame.
Colophon on p. 123b: "Written by Tzvi Hirsch son of R. Mordechai Brandes" (written within printed decorations mounted on the page, probably from an Amsterdam press).
Original leather binding, with gilt decorations.
[1], 123, [1] blank leaf. Approx. 24 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. Good condition. Stains. Original leather binding, with decorations. Wear and light defects to binding.
Two other manuscripts of Machbarot Immanuel were copied by R. Tzvi Hirsch son of Mordechai Brandes (held in the Etz Chaim library in Amsterdam, Mss. EH 47 A 28 and EH 47 A 13), dated 1780 and 1785 respectively. A third manuscript is held in the Montefiore collection in London (Ms. 370; Halberstam collection 118), dated 1787. The present manuscript is evidently datable to ca. these years.
Immanuel son of Shlomo of Rome (1261-1330) was a Jewish poet, satirist and Biblical commentator. Machbarot Immanuel is an anthology of twenty-eight chapters ("Machbarot"), containing lengthy Maqamas, incorporating songs, stories, allegories, dialogues and more, in the spirit of the Italian renaissance, as seen by a contemporary Jewish sage.
Provenance: Collection of Mozes Heiman Gans – Ms. 3.
