Città del Vaticano Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Ebr. 100

Manuscript
Reference Number	Heb16
Location	Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
Siglum/Shelfmark	Ebraici 100
Page/Folio range	158r-189v
Standardised title of narrative	משלי סנדבר (Mishle Sendebar)
Incipit or textual title
Version (siglum)	Mishle Sendebar
└ Language Group within Version	Hebrew Mishle Sendebar
└ Narrative/Scholarly Group within Version	Hebrew Group A
└ Further scholarly subgroup (1)
└ Further scholarly subgroup (2)	Text Vat.
Translated/adapted from (Version/Text)
Source for information on textual relationship to broader tradition	Epstein (1967)
Scribe
Author
Place of Manuscript Production	Byzantium
Date of Manuscript Production	1450 - 1500
Source of date Manuscript Production	Epstein (1967), Richler (2008)
Material	Paper
Language of Manuscript	Hebrew
Regional or specific Language of Manuscript
Source for regional or specific Language of Manuscript
Prose or Verse	Prose
Other texts in the Manuscript	This codex is in two volumes. See Richler's catalogue p. 67 (below) for more details. I. Ff. 1v–156v:[ברית החדשה. השליחים] New Testament (Four Gospels). Matthew, divided into 54 chapters (ff. 1v–46v), Mark, divided into 16 chapters (ff. 47r–73v), Luke, divided into 25 chapters (ff. 74r–117v) and John divided into 21 chapters (ff. 117v–153r). II. Ff. 157v–158r: [מעשה אשמדאי] Ma5aseh Ashmedai. Midrash on the demon Asmodeus. Ff. 158r–189v: משלי המלך סנדבר Tales of Sendebar.
Script style/form
Total pages/folios in Manuscript	189
Height	147
Width	102
Illustrations	No
Digitisation
Modern Editions	Epstein, Tales of Sendebar (1967)
Catalogue	https://www.nli.org.il/en/manuscripts/NNL_ALEPH990001132580205171/NLI, Richler, Hebrew Manuscripts in the Vatican Library: Catalogue (2008)
Modern Research Literature	Epstein (1967)

Note

Epstein (p. 354) notes: 'Vat. is a remarkable MS. Even though it clearly belongs to Group A, it differs from other members of that group in the order of stories, and, like H.M. and Bud. (and Group B ), lacks the story Gibbosi. Its chief distinction is its overall embellishment and inflation of text. In the story Avis, the cuckold realizes his error in killing the bird. (In this respect, Vat. resembles Auchinleck, the oldest ME Seven Sages of Rome MS.) In the story Turtures, the surviving male dove is so sad that it dies, too. In the story Balneator, the bathkeeper's wife goes back to the palace with the prince and bears him children. In any case Vat. is, from a literary standpoint, the most interesting MS of Mishle Sendebar. Throughout, there is an expansion of dialogue; an (often successful) attempt at motivation, a heightening of color, and a surprising sophistication in exposition. Vat. deserves its own translation.'

Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript

Short Story	Sequence Number	Narrator	Name Variations
Leo	1
Avis	2
Lavator	3
Turtures	4
Catula	5
Simia	6
Panes	7
Zuchara	8
Striga and Fons	9
Canis	10
Pallium	11
Aper	12
Balneator	13
Gladius	14
Absalom Rebellus	15
Absalom Mortuus	16
Nomina	17
Iuvenis Femina	18
Senex Caecus	19
Vulpes	20