British Library , Add MS 20746
Sefer ha-yesodot by Euclid. 1400-1499. Fols 1v-177v.
The thirteen Books of the Elements of Euclid, with the addition of two Books at the end which are ascribed to Hypsikles.
The Hebrew translator was Moses ben Samuel ibn Tibbon.
Figures throughout the manuscript. Book ii begins on folio 15v; book iii, folio 23r; book iv, folio 35r; book v, folio 41v; book vi, folio 51v; book vii, folio 64r; book viii, folio 70v; book ix, folio folio 80v; book x, folio 89r; book xi, folio 135v; book xii, folio 151r; book, folio xiii, folio 160v.
Folio 177v gives a list of fifteen books with the number of figures belonging to each, the entire number being stated to be 466. The Numbers of the figures are also stated in later writing at the end of the different books.
Folios 101-102 contain a fragment of a work on arithmetic (in a later Ashkenazi script). Author, (Moses ibn Tibbon)'s colophon on folio 177r.
Latin inscription on folio 1r suggesting erroneously that the MS was written by the translator Moses ibn Tibbon in 1270 (see author's colophon).
Paper codex of the 15th century.
Codex. Mixed. 177 folios. Dimensions (leaf): 280 x 200/205 mm. Dimensions (written): 205 x 140 mm.
Foliation: 177 folios (+ 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning and at the end). Folio 9 is double, there is no folio 10.
Collation: 10 quires: i18, ii-iv20, v16, vi20, vii18, viii-ix16, x14-1.
Condition: Ink spills. Tidemarks. Foxing at edges. Iron gall ink corrosion. Layout: Uniform layout. Ruling by hard point, leaf by leaf on verso. Larger square initials. Marginal notes and additions, sometimes folded by later binder. Leaf catchwords and numbering of the paragraphs inconsistently carried out. Portions of the text reduplicated on folios 78v- 79r, and folios 133v-134r respectively.
Script (summary): Hebrew. Sefardi semi-cursive script of the 15th century.
Binding: BM in-house. Spine: 'Euclidis Elementorum Libri A.R. Mose Aben Tibbon Versi Hebraice. Brit. Mus. Additional 20,746'.
Illegible ownership entry, crossed out. , A record of sale of the manuscript, written by Natan ben Yitsḥaḳ Yaʿaḳov Bon from Reuven ben Horgo(?) dated קניתי זה הספר בק"ק אלטונייא אצל ק"ק האמבורג מן היתום ראובן בן חורגו של ש"ב כמר יעקב בר : 1633 ....שמואל זלה"ה נאם נתן בן לא"א(?) יצחק יעקב בון זלה"ה היום יום שני לסדר כי תשא שנת השצג לפק (Adolphus Asher) (b. 1800, d. 1853), Berlin bookseller and dealer to the British Museum 1841-1853: purchased from him on 26 May 1855: inscribed.
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