The People in the Books: Hebraica and Judaica Manuscripts from Columbia University Libraries

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ASHER BEN JEHIEL (ca. 1250-1327).
Pisḳe Rabenu Asher: Rosh Ha-Shanah.
Manuscript in Hebrew, on parchment.
Ca. 14th century.
MS X893 As3
Rare Book and Manuscript Library

This manuscript is a very early example of the legal decisions of Rabbi Asher ben Jehiel dating from the 14th century.  The fold on the left side of the manuscript, however, shows that it was used not only for its  text, but also for its physical properties, as part of the binding of a book.  Due to the high costs of parchment, medieval book binders would often use discarded parchment fragments to bind new books. 

Thanks to the generosity of the National Library of Israel, this manuscript is available in its entirety here.

Pisḳe Rabenu Asher: 2r