Arabic codices from Palestine from the Mamluk period

[merav mack]

Dear all,

As some of you may already know, I have been working on medieval codices which were copied in Jerusalem and its surrounding monasteries (c. 900 to c. 1500) in all languages and by all religious communities. 

I have been relying on the expertise of many of you especially because the old catalogues of Jerusalem and Sinai do not include the place of production.

I am confused however because so far I found no Jerusalemite Melkite codices from the Mamluk period. This is exactly when most other collections expand and I was expecting to find manuscripts, especially in Sinai and Jerusalem. 

As I said, the most likely explanation is poor cataloguing. Koikylides did not include the place of copying in the catalogue, nor did Murad. Clark comments that there were many similar codices so they only microfilmed a selection, which is the basis of many scholars' work since. 

Has anyone had the chance to work on the Arabic codices at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in recent years and might have come across such manuscripts? 

I hope to get the chance to go back to the library during the summer to check out a selection of manuscripts. 

I'd appreciate your advice and help.

Many thanks,

Merav

 

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Dr. Merav Mack

Associate Researcher / Principal Investigator
DFG Project Jerusalem Codices and Communities: 900–1500

Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

https://meravmack.academia.edu/