This is a manuscript of collected Hebrew poetry, or piyutim, from the Moroccan tradition of piyut. Many of the poems are written by David ʻAmar (a 19th century Moroccan paytan), as evidenced by his name appearing in acrostic forms (such as the poem ʻIdan duḥḳah, which has a bold title of Daṿid [ʻAmar] ḥazaḳ, f. 95v-96r); likely, the manuscript was written over a period of time. It appears as if the manuscript was meant as a source of Moroccan and even Casablanca piyut; other authors mentioned include Masʻud (or Massoud) ḥazaḳ, who wrote Piyuṭ ha-RaSh.b.I. (after Shimon bar Yoḥai, f. 94v-95r); Yaʻaḳov ha-levi, writing a poem in honor of R. Yitsḥaḳ Nahon (f. 56v-7v; he lived in Tetouan, Morocco, in the 19th century); a poem in honor of R. ʻAmram ibn Dayan (and naming him as the same as Amram ben Diwan, a cabalist and emissary for the settlement in Jerusalem (Jerusalem 1740 - Ouazzane 1782, f. 151r-151v); and a piyut by "Shelomoh" for the coming of the Messiah (f. 178r-178v). Written in a Moroccan cursive script with headings and highlighted words in square script; the bulk of the manuscript was written in ink (f. 1r-179r) and the end written in pencil (f. 179v-194v). The folios are commercial lined paper and are yellowed and brittle; the volume is bound in boards with a deteriorating brown-leather spine, likely original. Written in Morocco, likely in Casablanca. There is a table of contents in the beginning (f. 1r-4r) and at the end (f. 182r-194v).
Timespan:
Morocco -- Casablanca.
Date:
1880
Description:
Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund.
Formerly owned by Elie Hazote, Casablanca (stamp inside front board; approximately 1940).; Sold by Mizrahi Bookstore (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 2019.; Formerly owned by Zakhuv Yaʻaḳov Ṿizman, son of Rabbi Khalifah, of Casablanca (inscription inside front board, f.4v).; Formerly owned by Avraham ben ʻAlon (inscription dated 1928, f. 4v).
194 leaves : paper; 163 x 91 (135 x 85) mm bound to 169 x 100 mm
Personal Name:
ʻAmram ben Diṿan,; Nahon, Yitsḥaḳ,; Ṿizman, Zakhuv Yaʻaḳov ben Khalifah, former owner.; Avraham ben ʻAlon, former owner.; Hazote, Elie, former owner.; Amar, D. A.; Masʻud ḥazaḳ. Piyuṭ ha-RaSh.b.I.
Corporate Name:
Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund.
Rights:
https://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?
Notes:
In Hebrew, with some passages in Judeo-Arabic (f. 4v, 178r-178v).
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