Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-04-09
A. JEWISH MANUSCRIPT.
Cwiouf and Unioue Mnnucyitf


Curious and Unique Manuie,ipt
The li,erati are Xix ly to be highly ia.
terefed with an original, ancient and
complete manuf ript of rhe Pents,euch,
now in 'he pcG lion Of Mr.. joseph
Sums, of Darling, IN, Durham.
This original copy is Of leather it IS
in Two volumes. about two feet VIE,
and meafures ,oo feet long. 1t is fup-
pofed Of goat skin leather and is moR
exceIlently drefled 70 as TO have an K.
quifise foftnefs to the touch. Each fheee
or skin is divided into pages, FIVE inches
and half wide. The letters are very
large, and not only mott exrellentIy writ.
ten, but ornamented With number Of
Tagin or Coronac, which is thing pee
cuiav to the mott ancient manuicr,p,s.
Each ihect of leather is ftitched very neat.
" to the others with kind of fubltante,
in appearance not like Car gut.
The antiquity OF this manufcript may
be inferred BY It's being writep on leath.
Ter, cireumttance which would hardly
have taken place after tn invention
of vellum was made II was recently
procured from the continent usdes the
mott intereiting circumstances II is be-
lieved TO be from IA to 1900 Yeas I'D
and in any cafe is the odeff copy # the
law extant. There is reafpn 70 b. iisve
il has been above 300 years in enc fasni.
", on the continent Ii is well known
to what a degree rht Jews veaerate their
facred books and anh what care they
prelerve then If will, there lore, b. be-
Iieved, that nothing bar the m. & afn CT
iIg and imperlous ci,eun itarces could
induce family. loving their law, to p ,rt
with trsalutc 10 precious. Du,itg the
calamiies which followed rhe train Of
Bonaparte's wars, a Jswifh fami =, Of
opu!enee, was reduced to utter ruin and
compelled to eniRrate.- hey came to
Holland in their exile. and.were there 10
reduced as to be obliged to pledge. a.
their laR remaining refouvce, this nsnu-
fript Of their Law, under Limitation Of :
confederate time for its redemption.
The time expired, the pledge was not re.
deemed, and the properly was fold in
Holland by the perfon who lent his mo-
ney on it. This mott valuable and anti.
que performance is now likely to be
public benefit.
1t has been preferved with the grea'eit
care, in rich cover, fringed with fine
elk and linen. The rollers, on which the
n,anuicript runs, are beautiful mahogany
or iron wood. 1t has been feen BY :
plumber of Hebrew feholars and Jews;
the former always expecting a literary
enthuGafm, and the latter treating it with
the mott solemn reverence. It has been
collatcd by very learned man. and its
readings preferred to the mott ancient Coz
pies we have 70 that this may juitly be
thought to be unique, as well as the mott
ancient copy of the Ave books Of Notes
in exiitence.
rheie facts naturally give birth to a
few reflections Is not fuch a mar ulcr ut
national objsc, Ought it not TO be
pu,chafed for the Britiih Muieum, or the
Univerfties Of Oxford or Cambridge :
there are many noblemen ard litcrari.
who would not tcruple tn mott generous
price and tor generous price oniy its
prelens poffeilor oueh, to be induced to
part with II The wrirer of this article
having feen it thanks 1t he my hazard an
opinion, that its lsait value mutt b. 1000
su,neas. purely. tuch rational otieH
ought not to be allowed to be in any pri.
vate hands ha,ever bur either the uni.
vetlities, or some Other public body fhoud
purchaie and place IT where, un er repu.
ar luperin tsndencs, it may be occalon.l.