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Robert Garrett Collection of Samaritan Manuscripts
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Robert Garrett (1875-1961) was an American banker and philanthropist. Garrett (Princeton class of 1897) was also an Olympic athlete, Princeton Charter Trustee, and a collector.
This collection contains 52 manuscripts written in the Samaritan alphabet, a writing system used by the Samaritans for religious writings in Hebrew, Aramaic, and occasionally Arabic. Contents include fragments from the Samaritan Pentateuch and liturgical pieces.
Organized by medium. Box 1 contains manuscripts written on paper; boxes 2-4 contain manuscripts written on parchment; box 5 contains photocopies of selected fragments. Collection was originally numbered and described by Professor Abraham Tal of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: nos. 1-4 are bound volumes; nos. 6-48 are parchment fragments; nos. 5 (originally misidentified as parchment), 49-51 are paper fragments. No. 52 is an unbound codex which was found stored with the Robert Garrett Collection of Syriac Manuscripts and added to the Samaritan collection in 2011.
Previously owned by Robert Garrett (1875-1961), Princeton Class of 1897.
Nos. 5-8, 20-28, 41-51 available as photocopies.
Gift; 1942 .
Folder inventory added by Nicholas Williams '2015 in 2012.
During 2022, restrictions on this collection were lifted as part of a restrictions review project.
No appraisal information is available.
Subject
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2012
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. No further duplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to Special Collections Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Collection Inventory
In the hand of the High Priest Jacob b. Aaron, completed by him in 1903.
The text is available in Cowley, Samaritan Liturgy , and is translated in the M.A. thesis (Leeds, 1958) by Alan D. Crown.
Physical Description1 itemBound volume. Paper.
Part of a set of the Samaritan Pentateuch written by Amram b. Salamah, Levitical priest, in 1806. One of Amram's earlier works (see BL. Or. 10271, 1867 (repairs), Rylands 14, 1839, Rylands 20, 1833, Nablus 21, 1859, B.N. 14, 1830, Smithsonian Ketubah, 1838). His full name is Amram b. Salamah b. Tabiah b. Isaac b. Abaraham b. Isaac b. Sudaqah b. Tabiah.
It was customary to write separate volumes of the Samaritan Pentateuch in the early 19th century and a parallel pair to this of a century earlier are in the Liverpool City Museum, England. This volume was sold by Amram in 1824 to Israel b. Abraham.
Physical Description1 itemBound volume. Paper.
Part III of the set. This ms. was retained by Amram and was in his posession until January 1827 when he wrote a Samaritan calendar on one of the last folios.
Physical Description1 itemBound volume. Paper.
Another part from the same set.
This volume passed to Isaac b. Salamah b. Ghazal b. Isaac b. Abraham b. Ghazal b. Isaac b. Abraham and his brothers Amram and Aaron in 1829 or 30.
Physical Description1 itemBound volume. Paper.
1 itemPaper. Partially disbound
Published by A. E. Cowley, The Samaritan Liturgy , Vol. II, pp. 463 ff.
See annotations on the photocopies for more exact correspondence to the Cowley volume.
Physical Description1 folderPaper; fourteen pages
92 pagesMs. Al. Paper; ninety-four pages
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Ms. A2. Paper; two pages
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1 folderPaper; four pages
A biglot (i.e., two texts of two languages, juxtaposed), with Samaritan version (on right-hand column) and Masoretic (Jewish) version (on left-hand column).
Physical DescriptionParchment; sixteen pages. All fragments belonging to Ms. I
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Ms. D Parchment; eight pages
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Ms. E Parchment; four pages
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Ms. E2. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. E3 Parchment; four pages
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Ms. E4 Parchment; four pages
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Ms. E5 Parchment; two pages
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Ms. E6 Parchment; two pages
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Ms. E7 Parchment; two pages
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Ms. E8. Parchment; two pages
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Note by Abraham Tal: "On the verso, there is a colophon (in fact, a deed of possession) made by a late hand. The word "Shechem" is written by a third hand over an erasure."
Physical Description1 page
Ms. E9. Parchment fragment; two pages
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Ms. E10 Parchment; four pages
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Ms. E11. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. E12 Parchment; one page. Recto blank
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A biglot, with Arabic version (on the left-hand column) and Hebraic version (on the right-hand column).
Physical DescriptionMs. G Parchment; twenty-two pages
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A biglot, with Arabic version (on left-hand column) and Hebraic version (on right-hand column).
Physical DescriptionMs. F2. Parchment; four pages
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A biglot, with Arabic version (on left-hand column) and Hebraic version (on right-hand column).
Physical DescriptionMs. F3 Parchment; two pages
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A biglot, with Arabic version (on left-hand column) and Hebraic version (on right-hand column).
Physical DescriptionMs. F4 Parchment fragment; one page. Recto blank
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24 pagesParchment; twenty-four pages. Pages 1, 2, 15, and 16 are lined with silk
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Ms. B2. Parchment fragments; four pages
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Ms. B3. Parchment; four pages
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Ms. B4. Parchment; four pages
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Ms. B5. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. B6. Parchment; four pages
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Ms. B7. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. B8. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. B9. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. B10. Parchment fragment; two pages
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2 pagesMs. B11. Parchment fragment; two pages
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Ms. B12. Parchment; two pages
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Ms. B13. Parchment; two pages
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16 pagesBound parchment pamphlet; sixteen pages
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Parchment; four pages
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Parchment; eight pages
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Parchment; four pages
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Parchment; eight pages
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Parchment; eight pages
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On the reverse sides of 47a and 47b, reads the inscription "R.G. for E.L., Aug., 1905."
A piece of the Samaritan Pentateuch, apparently a scroll, containing the decalogue and the related passages.
An unidentified Arabic inscription appears on the reverse side of 47b.
Physical Description1 folderStrips of parchment scroll, with paper backing; three pages
A biglot, with Arabic version (on left-hand column) and Hebraic version (on right-hand column).
Physical DescriptionMs. F1 Parchment; two pages
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44 pagesMs. C Parchment; forty-four pages
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A triglot, with Arabic version (on the left-hand column), Aramaic version (on the center column), and Hebraic version (on the right-hand column).
Fragment belonging to the Mss C of Shechem Synagogue. Other fragments are located in the Bodleian (Sam C2) in Leningrad and in the private library of P. Kahle (now in Torino).
See A. Tal's "Samaritan Targum of the Pentateuch," Vol. III.
Physical DescriptionMs. R. Parchment; four large pages. Very poor condition
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Ms. B1. Parchment; four pages
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A biglot, with Aramaic version (left-hand column) and Hebraic version (on right-hand column).
Mss L1 and L2, actually belonging to the same manuscript.
Both were detached from Ms A of Shechem (Nablus) Synagogue which is written by two scribes. Only the second part is dated (early 16th century); to this part L2 belongs. L1 belongs to the undated part of Ms A and seems to be earlier (14th or 15th century).
Fragments of Ms A are located in the British Library (Ms no. 5036) in the Bodleian (Sam b) and in Leningrad. See A. Tal, "The Samaritan Targun of the Pentateuch (vol. III)".
Physical Description1 folderParchment; eight pages