[Remedies, cures, and charms].
[סגולות, תרופות וקסמים].

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Contributor:

Gabai, Yehudah, Kiryat Sanz, former owner.

Karp, Abraham J., former owner.

Abraham J. and Deborah Karp Collection of Judaica (University of Pennsylvania)

גבאי, יהודה, קרית צאנז.

Language:

Hebrew

Judeo-Arabic

Subjects (All):

Jews.

History.

Fertility, Human--Religious aspects.

Traditional medicine.

North Africa.

Traditional medicine--Jews--Africa, North.

Occultism--Religious aspects--Judaism.

Occultism.

Fertility, Human--Religious aspects--Jews.

Fertility, Human.

Childbirth--Religious aspects--Judaism.

Childbirth.

Cabala.

Jews--Africa, North--History--Sources.

Genre:

Sources.

Codices (bound manuscripts)

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Yehudah Gabai, Kiryat Sanz (stamp, f. 1r).

Formerly in the collection of Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Karp.

Physical Description:

22 leaves : paper ; 240 x 157 (170 x 125) mm + 2 notes

Place of Publication:

[Morocco?], [between 1650 and 1750]

[מרוקו?], [בין 1650-1750]

Language Note:

Hebrew; various folios and words written in Judeo-Arabic.

Summary:

This is a manuscript of an assembled text of remedies and cures, and many with sources; the manuscript was likely created by a 17th century North African cabalist and healer for use for patients and seekers, as well as copyists and scribes. The manuscript opens with a reference and lexicon for cures and terms in Judeo-Arabic (f. 1r-2v), and continues with the text of cures for conditions and illnesses (f. 3r-22v); each paragraph is titled as gate (באב), with the source in a cursive hand. Larger paragraphs include fertility treatments for females (f. 14r-15v), male virility (f. 15v-16v), and additional charms for troubled childbirths (for example, having the woman in labor breathe smoke from the burning excrement from a donkey, pigeon, and a dog; f. 20v-22r). Attributions for the healing recipes include numerous instances of a sage named Shimʻon Ḥayim Ḥarush; another work used is called Shaʻar ha-refuʼah (f. 10v) and one cure is attributed to Ḥayyim ben Joseph Vital (f. 21v).

Notes:

Ms. codex.

Title supplied by cataloger.

Layout: Written in 21 lines in paragraphs, most with separations; subjects numbered (in a later hand) in the upper or inner margins.

Collation: Paper, 22; 1²2⁶⁺²3¹⁴ (-13, -14); original foliation in ink, א-יב, upper left recto; modern foliation in pencil, lower left recto, 1-22.

Script: Written in a North African square script; attributions and sections in an 18th century North African cursive script; 19th century portions written in a North African semicursive script in various hands and inks (such as f. 11v-12r).

Origin: Written in North Africa, likely Morocco, during the second half of the 17th century or the first half of the 18th century.

Item disbound, with heavy wear and staining; most blue ink faded from water damage.

Cited as:

UPenn Karp BI.12.

OCLC:

1286913150