Shimmushei Tehillim, Gabriel ben Judah of Vitry, [18th century]

Fol. 25r: An illustration of an amulet for a new-born child.

Fol. 25v: A charm to prevent nocturnal emission by Gedaliah ben Moses Cordovero, copied from the printed edition of Moses Cordevero’s Seder Keriat Shema (Venice, 1593).

Fols. 26r-27r: Some legends of the rabbis.

Shimmushei Tehillim explains the magical usage of Psalms for practical purposes. The manuscript was probably copied from the edition printed in Sabbioneta, 1551.

Sotheby’s is grateful to Menahem Schmelzer z”l and Benjamin Richler for cataloguing this manuscript.

Provenance

Isidore [Israel Isser] Goldblum, Rome, 1889 (purchase note) — Solomon Halberstam (shelf no. 47)

Physical Description

27 leaves on paper, 5 ½ x 4 1/8 inches; 140 x 108 mm, written in Sephardic semi-cursive script in black ink, catchwords, modern foliation in pencil; some stains and soiling. Marbled paper over boards.

Literature

Hirschfeld (ms. no. 350)