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A unique and important volume of manuscripts, affording a synoptic overview of Jewish involvement in medieval and Renaissance astronomy with 8 texts ranging in composition date from the 12th through the 16th century. Jews had acted as a conduit for the introduction of astronomy into Europe in the 12th century and were highly active in its dissemination over the next 3 centuries. Because Jewish involvement in Astronomy is less visible and subsequently less well-chronicled in the later stages of the Renaissance, the present manuscript is accordingly a very rare example of continued Jewish involvement with that science during the later Renaissance. Most of these manuscript iems are extant in only a small number of copies. Text VII is especially significant in regards to the history of science because of its pre-Keplerian mention and illustration of the "elliptical" orbits of the Moon and the planet Mercury. The manuscript appears to have been written by several distinct hands and likely compiled for an unidentified private individual. There are many marginal notes in various hands, indicating multiple readers over a range of time. Provenance: ex-libros scholars Samuel David Luzzatto (1800-1865); Solomon Halberstam (1907-2000); Montefiore College (circa post 1890).

The 8 texts are as follows: I. (fol. 1-66 verso). Abraham Bar Hiyya. "Zurat ha-Arez" (first part of "Hokhmat ha-Hizzayon"). One of the earliest Hebrew astronomy texts, composed in the 12th century by a Spanish Jew * II. (fol. 67 recto-78 verso). Judah ha-Nasi. Abridgement of Bar Hiyya's "Zurat Ha-Arez." A little-known text by a little-known figure. The original text composed no later than the 15th century * III. (fol. 79r-100r). Anonymous commentary on Immanuel ben Jacob Bonfil's "Shesh Kanafayim" ("6 Wings") - the masterwork of the famous 14th-century French-Jewish mathematician and astronomer, Bonfils * IV. ( fol. 100v-101v). Anonymous commentary on Immanuel ben Jacob Bonfil's "Shesh Kanafayim." Beginning text only, lacking end * V. (fol. 102r-130v). Anonymous commentary on Immanuel ben Jacob Bonfil's "Shesh Kanafayim." Leaves 108r-130v comprise some 24 tables (some multi-page) from Bonfils * VI. (fol. 131r-144v). Ahmad ibn Saffar "On the Astrolabe." Translated in the 13th century from the Arabic by Jacob ben Makhir, a French Jew * VII. (fol. 145r-193v). George Purbach "Iyyun ha-Kokhavim ha-Meshartim" ("Theorica Planetarum"). Ff. 170r-193v contain illustrations accompanying the treatise. Some of the images on 185r-193v are Hebrew versions of tables of and notes from Erasmus Rheinhold’s work on Purbach (“Theoricae novae planetarum Georgii Pubacchii Germanii”), first published in 1542 (2nd edition, 1551). Figures similar to those on ff. 179v-183v can be found on Bodleian MS. 1472. Another extant Hebrew copy of this Purbach text is dated 1571 * VIII. (fol. 196r-200v). Abraham ibn Ezra “Kali ha-Nehoshet.” On astronomical instruments similar to the astrolabe. This text represents a portion only of the entire work.