Mishle Sendebar: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:52, 24 January 2025

Predating the expansion of the 'Western' Seven Sages narratives, composed some time before 1295, 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. 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.

Identification & General Information

Title

משלי סנדבר (Mishle Sendebar)

Tradition & Lineage

Branch of the tradition

East

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

Translated into (languages)

French, German, Arabic, Latin

Date of Composition

1100 - 1295

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)

Modern Editions

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

Notes & Commentary

Note

The story-order given below reflects Epstein's 1967 version, 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).

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator
Leo	1	First Master
Avis – The Bird	2	First Master
Lavator	3	Empress
Turtures	4	Second Master
Canicula – The Weeping Dog	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 1 – The Trick: The Wiles of Women Collection	21

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

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Version
-|Has Description=In his introduction to ''Mishle Sendebar'', Epstein explains the characteristics of the Hebrew version, alone of all the other 'Eastern' texts, shares with the 'Western' Seven Sages tradition. For example, in ''Mishle Sendebar'' the sages are named, and compete to secure the role of instructing the prince.
+|Has Description=Predating the expansion of the 'Western' ''Seven Sages'' narratives, composed some time before 1295, 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. 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.
 |Has Display Title=Mishle Sendebar
 |Has Title=משלי סנדבר (Mishle Sendebar)
@@ Line 7: / Line 9: @@
 |Has Original Language Of Version=Hebrew
 |Is Translated Into Languages=French; German; Arabic; Latin
+|Has Start Date Of Composition=1100
 |Has End Date Of Composition=1295
+|Has Source For Date Of Text Composition=Epstein (1967)
 |Has Text Language=Hebrew
 |Has Modern Research Literature=Epstein (1967); Epstein (1958); Hilka (1912); Epstein (1959); Perry (1959); Gaster (1936); Steinschneider (1878); Needler (1977)