Call Number:

Ms Codex 2321

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

.2 linear feet

Language:

Arabic, Official Aramaic (700-300 BCE); Imperial Aramaic (700-300 BCE), English, and Hebrew

Preferred Citation:

Joseph James' manuscript volume of "An Hebrew and English lexicon without points", 1824-1890, Ms Codex 2321, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1824 and 1824-1890 (inclusive)

Creator:

James, Joseph, 1754 or 1755-1830

Form:

Codices (bound manuscripts) and Grammars (instructional materials)

Abstract:

Joseph James (1755-1830) was a Philadelphian who published A compendious Hebrew and English lexicon in 1926 and worked a variety of jobs throughout his life time. This volume, written by Joseph James in 1824, comprises of four parts: a preface and writings on Hebrew, Chaldee (Aramaic) and Arabic grammar.

Joseph James was born in 1755 in the Philadelphia area, the son of Abel James, owner of a Philadelphia shipping company, member of the Pennsylvania Assembly and the American Philosophical Society, and friend of Benjamin Franklin. According to one researcher, James spent his life "…working at a printer and later bank clerk in Philadelphia, as a merchant in New York City, and as a teacher, bookseller and druggist in Baltimore…" (Smith). Joseph James published A compendious Hebrew and English lexicon in 1926 and wrote an appendix for the Catalogue of the books belonging to the library of the four Monthly Meetings of Friends of Philadelphia : with the rules for the government of the Library. Joseph James died in 1830.

Works consulted:

"Abel James." American Philosophical Society, https://membib.amphilsoc.org/member/pub/152. Accessed 21 July 2025.

RETOUR - Freier Blog für Provenienzforschende (8. April 2020). (Mis)understanding Medieval Manuscripts in 19th Century Philadelphia. RETOUR. Abgerufen am 21. Juli 2025 von https://doi.org/10.58079/toed

This volume, written by Joseph James in 1824, comprises of four parts: a preface and writings on Hebrew, Chaldee (Aramaic) and Arabic grammar. The full cover title of this volume is "An Hebrew and English lexicon without points : to which are prefixed Parkhurst's Hebrew and Chaldee grammar without points : also a concise exemplification of the Masoretic points and accents : Isaiah XL." The preface is one and a half pages long, written by Joseph James. The first section, "Hebrew Grammar without points," consists of eleven sections concerning the Hebrew alphabet, nouns, pronouns, regular and irregular verbs, verb conjugation charts, and grammar exercises, written on pages 9-36. The second section, "A Short Chaldee Grammar," Chaldee is the old name for the Aramaic language, consists of five sections concerning Chaldee letters, words, nouns, pronouns, and verbs, written on pages 37-42. The third section, "A Gramar of the Arabic language from that of John Richardson, Esq F.S.A. with the English Pronunciation," consists of two books and a total of thirteen chapters concerning the Arabic alphabet, pronunciation, consonants, vowels, syllables, nouns, gender, numbers, numerals, and pronouns, written on pages 43-81.

Pages 2-4 and 44 are blank. All pages after the page numbered by the cataloger as 81 are blank. The spine is detached from the volume. This volume contains red rot.

The creator inconsistently numbered the pages in this volume to reflect page numbers as they would be in a published book; all references to page numbers in this record reflect the pagination done by the cataloger.