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Harley MS 3500

Record Id:
040-002049331
Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
040-002049331
MDARK:
ark:/81055/vdc_100000000807.0x000008
LARK:
SLARK:
Format:
ISAD(G)
Reference (shelfmark):
Harley MS 3500
Title:

Latin version of the Lead Books of Sacromonte

Scope & Content:

This manuscript contains a Latin translation of the Lead Books of Sacromonte by the Franciscan friar and Arabic specialist Bartolomeus a Pectorano [Bartolomé de Pettorano] (d. 1688) at the Convent of Saint Isidore in Rome in 1644. The Lead Books of Sacromonte are a set of 22 books with lead leaves that contain the text and history of the 'Essence of the Gospel', a prophetic book which the Virgin Mary is claimed to have seen in a revelation and written down in Latin onto tablets of precious stone, which were subsequently swallowed up by the Mount of Olives. Before that, however, the text would have been translated into Arabic and copied onto tablets of lead by St Caecilius, who, together with the Apostle St James the Great, used it an evangelical mission to Iberia. It was these copies that were claimed to have been rediscovered in the caves of Sacromonte near Granada, Spain, between 1595 and 1606. However, the books were declared forgeries by scholars in the 17th century. Containing the prophecies in which the Virgin Mary declares that Arabic is the ancient language and Arabs are the first Christians in Iberia, they are now commonly thought to have been written to promote toleration of the language and traditions of Christian Moriscos amid increasing hostilities from the Spanish Inquisition.

Contents:

f 1r: A title page: 'Vetustissimӕ, ac Peregrinӕ Plumbi Laminarum Scripturӕ. In Sancto Granatӕ Monte Regni Hispaniarum, nostris hisce temporibus miraculosè patefactarum. Latina Interpretatio. Per Fratrem Bartholomeum à Pectorano, Ordinis Seraphici strictioris observantiӕ, et in sua Provincia Aprutina Regni Neapolis Provincialem Ministrum demandato Sanctissimi, ac Sacrӕ Congregationis universalis Inquisitionis, Romӕ fideliter Ædita'.

ff. 2r-7r: 'Liber Fundamentorum Fidei per Thesiphonem Abenathar, Discipulum Iacobi Apostoli'; ending: 'Completus est liber Fidei, et concilium Apostolos per manus Thesiphonis, qui de numero discipulorum est Abenathar Arabs'.

ff. 7v-9v: 'Liber Thesiphonis Abenathar de Essentia Veneranda'.

ff. 10r-15v: 'Liber Ordinationis Missӕ Iacobi Apostoli, per manus sui Notarij Discipuli. Thesiphonis Æbenathar'.

ff. 16r-18r: 'Oratio et Defensivum Iacobi Filij Sciamichi Zebedei Apostoli per omnes adversitates qua et deprecabatur Dominum suum, Defensivum autem quod defendit ab omnibus malis docuit eum Iesus filius Mariӕ magister eius'; ending: 'Finita est oratio benedicta, et signum beatum per manus, Thesiphonis Æbenathar de numero Discipulorum'.

ff. 18v-25v: 'Liber Beatissimi Apostoli Iacobi, Filij Sciamichi Zebedei, De Predicatione Apostolirum, et De Rebus, quas simul ipsi constituerunt super id; quem scripsit in duodecim paginis plumbi de mandato illius Thesiphon Æbenathar Arabs Ad utilitatem gentium, et ut predicaretur eis in terra Hispanice'.

ff. 26r-27v: 'Planctus Petri Apostoli Vicarii. Post negationem Domini nostril tempore suӕ Crucifixionis'; ending: 'Finitus est liber per manum meam Arabis'.

ff. 28v-59v: 'Liber Insignium actionum Domini nostri Iesu, ac Virginis Mariӕ Matris eius, et vitӕ illius, et miraculorum suorum, a die conceptionis, usque ad mortem suam, et Ascentionem eius in Cœlum. Per Thesiphonem Æbenathar discipulum Iacobi Apostoli';

ff. 60r-72v: 'Liber Historiӕ Veritatis Evangelii Liber. Historiӕ Veritatis Eva[n]gelij gloriosi, nec non illius, quod dispositum est circa illum a Sancta Maria Virgine, Iacobo Filio Sciamichi Zebedei Apsotolo. Scriptus demandato ipsius Iacobi per manus sui scriptoris et discipuli Thesiphonis Æbenathar Arabis'; ending: 'Completus est liber per manum meam Arabis'.

ff. 73r-90v: 'Liber Donorum Prӕmii. Pro Servis Dei credentibus in Veritate Evangelij, et in eo, quod prӕcipitur circa illam in Historia ad suturum tempus; Nec non, et Maledictionum e contrario adversantibus illi. In ipso. Continentur octo interrogations Petri factӕ in Congregatione Apostolorum Sanctӕ Virgini Mariӕ. Et responsiones ad illum non poterit aliquis perfect intelligere sensum Historiӕ Veritatis sine eo. Per Iacobum Filium Sciamichi Apostolum Vexilliferum Fideo. Scriptus de mandato ipsius Virginis Mariӕ'; ending with: 'Completus est liber per manus Arabis'; ending: 'Completus est liber per manus Arabis'.

ff. 91r-94v: 'Liber Mysteriorum Magnorum. Quӕ vidit Iacobus Apostolus in Monte Sancto ob Concilium Maximum. Scriptus de mandato eius per manus Cecilij sui discipuli'; ending: 'Completus est liber per manus Cecilij Ebenradi discipuli Jacobi Apostoli'.

ff. 95r-101r: 'Liber Arcanorum Magnorum Quӕ patefaciet Deus illi quem voluerit ex servis suis, qui Deo se totos devoverunt, et erit signaculum proprij Montis, cum Veirtate Evangelij'; ending: 'Finitus est liber per manum meam servi pauperculi sperantis misericordiam Domini sui Thesiphonis Ebenatha Arabis'.

ff. 102r-141v: 'Liber Colloquii Sanctӕ Mariӕ Virginis - Liber Allegoriarum Mysteriorum, quӕ vidit Sancta Virgo Maria Ob gratiam Dei in nocte sui colloquij spiritualis, quem exposuit Iacobo filio Sciamichi Zebedei Apostolo. Scriptus de mandato ipsius Sanctӕ, per manus scriptoris, et discipuli dicti Iacobi, Cecilij Ebenradi'; ending: 'Finitus est liber Jacobi Apostoli de Mandato Sanctӕ Mariӕ, per manus Cecilij Eberradi scriptoris, ac discipuli illius'.

ff. 142r-165v: 'Liber Sententiarum circa Fidem, et Directionem, quibus consequitur domus pacis, ostensus a Sancta Maria Virgine, Iacobo Filio Sciamichi Zebedei Apostolo. Traductus de mandato ipsius Sanctӕ in Arabicum per manus discipuli, ac scriptoris illius Cecilij Ebenradi'; ending: 'Finitus est liber per manus Arabis'.

ff. 166r-171r: 'Historia Sigilli Prophetӕ Dei Salomonis, Filii David. Et Mysteriorum eius secundum Sanctam Mariam Virginem: Per Cecilium Ebenradi discipulum Iacobi Apostoli'; ending with: 'Completus est liber per manus Cecilij Eberradi discipuli Jacobi Apostoli'.

ff. 172r-184r: 'Liber Notitiӕ Divinӕ Potentiӕ, Nec non Benignitatis, et Iustitiӕ circa creaturas. Per Cecilium Eberradi Discipulum Iacobi Apostoli defensorem legis Evangelicӕ'; ending: 'Per manum meam Cecilij Ebenradi discipuli Jacobi filij Sciamihi Zebedei, Apostoli'.

ff. 185v-203v: 'Pars II De Libro Notitiӕ Divinӕ Potentiӕ, nec non et benignitatis, et iustitiӕ circa creaturas Per Cecilium Eberradi Discipulum Iacobi Apostoli'; ending: 'Completus est liber, per manus Cecilij Arabis, sperantis misericordiam Domini sui, Ebenradi discipuli Jacobi Apostoli'.

ff. 204r-218r: 'Liber de Natura Angeli et Sua Potentia Per Cecilium Eberradi Discipulum Iacobi Apostoli'; ending with: 'Completus est liber per manus Cecilij Ebenradi, discipuli Jacobi Apostoli'.

ff. 218r-225v: 'Liber Relationis de Dono Domus Pacis nec non et Tormenti Domus Vindictӕ Per Cecilium Eberradi Discipulum Iacobi Apostoli'; ending with: 'Finitus est liber per manus Cecilij Ebenradi discipuli Jacobi Apostoli'.

ff. 226r-271v: 'Liber Prӕclararum Actionum Iacobi filij Sciamichi Zebedei Apostoli, et prosapiӕ illius, ac nobilitatis eius, miraculorumque suorum'; ending with: 'Completa est prima pars libri per manum meam servi peccatoris sperantis misericordiam Domini sui, Cecilij Ebenradi, Discipuli Jacobi Apostoli'.

ff. 272r-282r: 'Pars .II. Libri. Prӕclararum Actionum Iacobi Apostoli'; ending: 'Finitus est liber per manus Cecilij Ebenradi discipuli Jacobi Apostoli sperantis misericordiam Domini sui'.

Decoration:

Diagrams with Seals of Solomon in red or brown ink on ff. 2r [3x], 7r [2x], 9v [6x], 18r [5x], 19r, 27v [3x], 28r, 29v, 59v, 72v [3x, inscribed with characters], 88v [inscribed with characters], 90v [inscribed with characters], 91r [2x], 94v [5x, inscribed with characters], 95r [2x], 97r, 99r [inside a circle, and inscribed with characters], 100r [inside a circle, and inscribed with characters], 101r [5x, inside a circle], 102r [2x], 141v [5x, inscribed with characters], 142r [2x, one featuring 4 smaller seals and inscribed with characters], 165v [5x, inscribed with characters], 166r [2x, one with 4 smaller seals], 167r [inscribed with characters], 171v [3x], 172r [4x, one featuring 8 smaller seals], 172v, 184r [4x], 185r [2x, one featuring 5 smaller seals], 203v [7x], 217v [2x, one inscribed with characters], 218r [inscribed with characters], 225r, 225v [2x, one inscribed with characters], 226r [2x], 271v [6x], 272r, 282r [4x, with characters]. A full-page circular diagram with a cross-shaped character inside it in brown ink on f. 96v; and an empty circular diagram in brown ink on f. 98r. Large (2- or 3-line) brown initials in frames of brown ink with penwork decoration in red (ff. 2r, 7v, 10r, 16r, 19r, 26r, 28v, 60r, 73v, 91v, 102v, 166v, 172v, 185v, 204r, 218r, 226v, 272r). Arabic numbers and characters in red ink throughout the manuscript.

Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Project / Collection:
Harley Collection
Hierarchy Tree:
[{ "id" : "040-002049331", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 3500: Latin version of the Lead Books of Sacromonte" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
Hierarchy Record Ids:
032-002045828
040-002049331
Is part of:
Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts

 

Harley MS 3500 : Latin version of the Lead Books of Sacromonte
Hierarchy:
032-002045828[3501]/040-002049331
Container:
View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
Record Type (Level):
File
Extent:
1 volume
Digitised Content:
Languages:
Latin
Scripts:
Latin
Start Date:
1644
End Date:
1705
Date Range:
1644-c 1700
Era:
CE
Access:

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User Conditions:
Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Paper.

Dimensions: 190 x 130 mm (text space: 160 x 90 mm).

Foliation: ff. 282 (+ 1 unfoliated paper flyleaf at the beginning + 2 at the end); 1 unfoliated paper pastedown on f. [i]recto (bibliographical notes).

Script: 17th-century script.

Binding: Post-1600; gold-stamped and -tooled limp white parchment binding; gilt fore edges.

Custodial History:

Origin:

? Italy or France.

Provenance:

The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts.

Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish, née Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d. 1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.

Publications:

A Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 4 vols (London: Eyre and Strahan, 1808-12), III (1808), p. 34.

Philippe Roisse, 'La Historia del Sello de Salomón: estudio, edición crítica y traducción comparada', in Losplomos del sacromonte: invención y tesoro, ed. by Manuel Barrios Aguilera and Mercedes García-Arenal Rodríguez (Valencia: Publicacions de la Universitat de València2006), pp. 141-72 (p. 153).

Material Type:
Archives and Manuscripts
Legal Status:
Not Public Record(s)
Places:
Italy