PBA Galleries

80 leaves, manuscript on vellum, on both sides. Central column of 19 lines in dark brown, with interlinear and side glosses in lighter brown in miniscule hands. The two books each with a red uncial initial (5 lines ad 3 lines). Arabic numerals in a later hand in the upper corners of some leaves giving chapter numbers. 23x15 cm (9x5¾"). later (c.18th century) green vellum over boards, spine lettered in gilt "Salomon Varia Opuscula," later endpapers.

Very rare 12th century glossed Biblical manuscript of the two wisdom books of the Old Testament, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, with extensive marginal and interlinear notes. Glossed Bibles present an interlinear paraphrase of the vulgate text with surrounding marginal commentaries of the great church fathers. The original manuscript with glossing was apparently executed in Germany in the second half of the 12th century. Contains on fol. 1R-58v book Proverbia Salomonis, on fol. 59R-80v the book of Ecclesiastes. To the best of our information this is the only example of a glossed manuscript of these Biblical texts to appear at auction in several decades.