ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. I3 



" Mahasin al-Wasa'il," a, Avork treating at great length of the Awail, or first introduction 

 of customs, arts, etc., by Badr al-DTn al-Shibli (died A.H. 769); Arabic: a.d, 1482. 



The historical commentary of Ibn Badrun on the Elegy of Ibn Abdun (died A..H. 

 529), in two copies, one of which is dated a.ti. 1494 ; Arabic. 



" Al-Mudhayyil," a continuation of the Kitab al-Raudatain, by its author, Abu 

 Shamah (died A.H. 665), extending from the death of Salah al-Din, A.H. 590, to A.H. 

 665 3 Arabic, two vohimes : A.D. 1291. 



"Tarikh al-Islam," the great chronicle of Shams al-Dm al-Dhuhabi (dated A.H. 748). 

 The last volume, comprising, A.H. 691-700 ; Arabic: a.d. 1678. 



" Al-Takmilah liwafayat al-nakalah," obituary notices of learned men, from A.H. 625 

 to 642, by 'Abd al-'AzIm al-Mundhiri (died A.H. 656) ; Arabic : A.D. 1294. 



A volume of the " ' TstT 'ab," a biographical dictionary of the Companions of Muhammad, 

 by Ibn 'Abd al-BaiT of Cordova (died A.H. 463) ; Arabic; a.d. 1574. 



A o-eneral history, relating in its latter portion more especially to Jerusalem, by MujTr 

 al-DIn al-'Ulaimi, Kadi of Jerusalem (died A.H. 927) ; Arabic : a.d. 1563. 



Historical extracts and notices collected by 'Abd al-Kadir al-Nu'aimi, the historian of 

 Damascus (died a.h. 927), and written with his own hand, about a.d. 1500; Arabic. 



" Sunt al-Nujum," an extensive work on general history, brought down to A.H. 1103, 

 and including a detailed account of the Sharifs of jMecca ; by al-'Isami ; Arabic : two 

 vols. ; A.D. 1711. 



A compendious Mohammedan chronicle, extending from A.H. 35 to 743 ; by al- 

 Dhuhabi (died A.H. 748). Arabic : A.D. 1598. 



"Kitab al-Taharat," the ethics of Ibn Miskawaih (died A.H. 421); Arabic: 16th 

 century. 



A work on general history, treating more especially of Persia, and coming down to 

 A.H, 815; it was written for Sultan Jalal ud-Dln Iskandar, grandson of Timur, and 

 Viceroy of the Province of Fars. Persian: A.D. 1463. 



" Ashkal 'Alam," the Geography of Abu Zaid Balkhi, translated into Persian. 



" Zubdat ut-Tavarlkh," an extensive historical and geographical work, treating very 

 fully of Fars, Kirman, and Khorasan ; written for Shahrukh, a.h. 817-823, by Hafiz i 

 Abru. Followed by the geographical Appendix of the " Habib us-SIyar." Persian. 

 A.D. 1646. 



" Haft Paikar," a poem of NizamI, in the handwriting of a celebrated penman, Shah 

 Mahmiid, of Nishapur ; Persian : a.d. 1545. 



" Tabakat ul-Memalik," a full history of the reign of Sultan Suleiman, from his 

 accession, a.h. 926, to A.H. 963, by Mustafa Ben Jelal TevkT'i (died a.h. 975); Turkish. 

 Large folio. 17th century. 



The bhapira collection consists of forty Hebrew Manuscripts, coming, for the most 

 part, from Southern Arabia, the dates of which range from the 11th to the 17th century. 

 Fifteen of these are Pentateuch Rolls, written on red leather, and measuring from 100 

 to 200 feet in length, with a width of about two feet. The remaining twenty-five 

 are book-manuscripts, twelve of which are written on vellum and thirteen on paper. 

 Most of these contain portions of the Hebrew Canon, with the larger or lesser Massora 

 in the margins, and with Chaldee Targuras and Arabic versions alternating with the 

 paragraphs of the original. They are remarkable for some divergences from the common 

 text, and for their peculiar system of vowel-notation, the so-called Assyrian or upper- 

 punctuation, very few specimens of which have yet been brought to Europe. 



The collection includes, in addition to the Biblical Manuscripts, some Midrashimon the 

 Pentateuch and Haftaroth, and fine copies on vellum of the Commentary of Aben Ezra 

 on the Pentateuch, Kimchi's Hebrew l.exicon, and the same author's commentary on the 

 Psalms. 



Among the manuscripts acquired, independently of the above collections, the following 

 deserve a special notice. 



Two copies of the Samai-itan Pentateuch, one of which is written on vellum, apparently 

 in the 13th century, the other on paper, a d. 1495. 



A portion of the Samaritan Targum, written on vellum, probably in the 14th 

 century. 



A fragment of the Samaritan Pentateuch, written on vellum in three columns, con- 

 taining respectively the Hebrew text, the Samaritan Targum, and the Arabic version, 

 all in the Samaritan character; 13th century. 



An account of the manners and products of the islands of Idzu, with coloured drawings. 

 Japanese, 3 vols. 



Saravali, a treatise on horoscopes, in Sanscrit and the Nepaulese character; dated A.H. 

 406 of the Nepaulese ^ra, a.d. 1286. 



The Vendldad Sadeh in Zend. A.D. 1758. 



Dalalatal-Hairin by Maimonides; Arabic, in the Hebrew character; 15th century. 



Lechem Happanim, a Commentary on the Moreh Nebochim of Maimonides. Hebrew: 

 16th century. 



During the year, 597 readers have applied for Oriental MSS. ; and 1,864 volumes have 

 been consulted. 



Ch. JRieu. 



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