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משה בן מימון׃ מורה נבוכים Moses ben Maimon: Moreh nevukhim (Guide for the Perplexed). Barcelona 1347-1348.
Department of Oriental and Judaica Collections, Cod. Heb. 37

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Fol. 112v: Two exquisitely
executed birds in pink and blue
surround the text, which is the
concluding text of the first part
of the book. At the bottom of
the page, the illumination
consists of two fantasy beasts,
whose intertwined necks surround
the concluding phrases of the
first part of the Moreh nevukhim.
What has inspired the illuminator
and the scribe to introduce
these birds is unclear; nothing in
the contents of the text gives
any associations.
Fol. 114r: This is the most
famous, and most often
reproduced page in the whole
codex. The panel is found at the
opening part of the second part
of the book, which deals with
establishing the proofs of
God’s existence, incorporeity
and oneness. The central motif
is a group of men, one of them
with an astrolabe, generally
perceived as scientists (and
sometimes as Aristotle himself
and his disciples). The border
of the panel shows different
birds, which is a recurring
motif throughout the codex.
Fol. 202r: The main motif of the
panel at the top of the page is
four creatures: man/angel, lion,
bull, and eagle. They are
mentioned in Ez. 1 (Ezekiel’s
vision of the Heavenly Throne),
a text common to Jews and
Christians. In Jewish tradition
this text – which is the topic of
this and the following pages –
is central to the understanding
of God’s essence; in Christian
art the four beings have come to
symbolize the four evangelists.


מורה נבוכים Moreh nevukhim (Guide for the Perplexed) is a philosophical work by Moses ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides, c. 1135-1204). Shortly after its completion in the 1190’s it was translated from its original Arabic into Hebrew by Samuel ibn Tibbon.
This manuscript was written in 1348 in Barcelona by Levi ben Isaac ben Caro, and it has been suggested that the illuminator was a Christian, probably Ferrer Bassa, also of Barcelona.
It was acquired by the Royal Library in 1732 from the estate of Count Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe.

19.4 x 13.3 cm.

See the entire manuscript on the website of the Department of Oriental and Judaica Collections Moshe ben Maimon: Moreh nevukhim / Guide for the Perplexed.


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