Mishle Sendebar

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Predating the expansion of the 'Western' Seven Sages narratives, composed some time before 1275, the Hebrew Mishle Sendebar (משלי סנדבר, Parables of Sendebar) is part of the broad 'Eastern' tradition, sharing many elements with the Syriac, Greek, Persian, Arabic, and Old Spanish versions. Like the other Eastern texts, Mishle Sendebar highlights the wisdom of a particular philosopher, Sendebar (also known as Sindbad, Syntipas, Sindban, etc.). Additionally, all the sages here tell two stories to every single story told by the empress (see story order, below).

However, Mishle Sendebar is also distinct from the other Eastern texts in some ways. Some of these differences are related to a distinct Hebrew literary tradition, evidenced in analogues or references to the Book of Esther and elements from the Torah, but some variations are also shown in the plot. For example, only in the Hebrew tradition is the empress forgiven at the end, once her crimes are revealed. Additionally, the Hebrew version alone of all the Eastern texts shares critical features with the Western Seven Sages tradition, as Morris Epstein explains in his introduction. As in the Seven Sages, in Mishle Sendebar the sages are named, and compete to secure the role of instructing the prince. The sages are named some variation of: Sendebar (Sndbad, Sndbr), Ipokras (Yofkot, Biars, Avpkrt), Apulin (Apuliyon, Aplbin, Upilin), Lukman (Luknin, Lukian, Lukmo, Ukmo, Ukimun), Aristalin (Aristotlie, Astile, Aristotilus, Istlin), Bind (Binr, Nishum, Bindi, Hind, Binur, Kind) and Amami (Amur, Amia, Amri, Amud, Omd, Amuz). The king is named Bibar (or similar), and his first wife's name is Beria; the son and the empress-figure are unnamed.

Identification & General Information

Title

משלי סנדבר (Mishle Sendebar)

Tradition & Lineage

Branch of the tradition

Book of Sindbad

Recorded Secondary Versions

• Mishle Sendebar
  • Hebrew Mishle Sendebar
    • Hebrew Group A
      • Hebrew Prints
    • Hebrew Group B
  • Latin Mishle Sendebar

Connected Manuscripts

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Date Range Of Production
Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 618	Latin	Berlin, Staatsbibliothek	1407
British Library Harley 5449	Hebrew	London, British Library	1601 - 1700
Budapest Jewish Theological Seminary University Library Ms. K 59	Hebrew	Budapest, Jewish Theological Seminary - University of Jewish Studies Library	1401 - 1500
Cincinnati Hebrew Union College Library Ms. 2187	Hebrew, Persian	Cincinnati, Hebrew Union College Library
Cincinnati Hebrew Union College Library Ms. 598	Hebrew	Cincinnati, Hebrew Union College Library	1750 - 1850
Città del Vaticano Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Ebr. 100	Hebrew	Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana	1450 - 1500
Città del Vaticano Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Ebr. 271	Hebrew	Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana	1375 - 1425
Città del Vaticano Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Ebr. 296	Hebrew	Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana	1400 - 1500
Jerusalem, National Library of Israel Ms. 2087=28	Hebrew	Jerusalem, National Library of Israel	1721
Jerusalem, National Library of Israel Ms. 3935=8	Hebrew	Jerusalem, National Library of Israel	1531
Jerusalem, Schocken Institute for Jewish Research of The Jewish Theological Seminary Ms. 13316	Hebrew	Jerusalem, Schocken Institute for Jewish Research Library	1700 - 1900

Language & Composition

Language of version

Hebrew

Translated into (languages)

French, Arabic, Latin, German (High and Low German)

Date of Composition

1100 - 1275

Source for date of composition

Epstein (1967)

Modern Scholarship & Editions

Modern research literature

Epstein (1967), Epstein (1958), Hilka (1912), Epstein (1959), Perry (1959), Gaster (1936), Steinschneider (1878), Needler (1977), Pratelli (2010), Lacarra (2009), Krönung (2016)

Modern Editions

Epstein, Tales of Sendebar (1967), Habermann, Mishle Sindbad (1946), Cassel, Mischle Sindbad (Hebrew, with translation into German) (1888), Pratelli, Mišlê Sendebār (2010)

Notes & Commentary

Note

The story-order given below reflects Epstein's 1967 edition, which combines the story-order given in several Group A texts with the additional storymatter found in the anomalous Group B texts (namely Jusjurandum, Fur et Luna, and Ingenia). However, Epstein titles the fifth story 'Catula', but other scholarship refers to this narrative as 'Canicula'; the title given here reflects broader scholarly consensus and (in particular) Nishimura's references to the narrative.

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator	Has Name Variation
Leo	1	First Master
Avis – The Bird	2	First Master
Lavator	3	Empress
Turtures	4	Second Master
Canicula	5	Second Master
Striga and Fons – The Witch and the Fountain	6	Empress
Canis – The Faithful Dog	7	Third Master
Pallium	8	Third Master
Simia	9	Empress
Panes	10	Fourth Master
Zuchara	11	Fourth Master
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	12	Empress
Balneator	13	Fifth Master
Gladius – The Drawn Sword	14	Fifth Master
Absalom Rebellus	15	Empress
Absalom Mortuus	16	Sixth Master
Nomina	17	Sixth Master
Iuvenis Femina	18	Seventh Master
Jusjurandum	19	Seventh Master
Fur et Luna	20	Empress
Ingenia	21

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Connected Prints

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Sort Date Of Print
Divre ha-Yamim shel Moshe Rabbenu. Constantinople: R. Samuel Ibn Naamias, 1516	Hebrew		1516 JL
Divre ha-Yamim shel Moshe Rabbenu. Venice: Giovanni di Gara, 1605	Hebrew		1605