Abstract: "A manuscript commentary on the AlmagestAbstract: the classical 2nd-century mathematical and astronomical treatise on the apparent motions of the stars and planetary pathsAbstract: probably prepared by Mirza Qazi bin Kashif al-Din al-Yazdi (d. 1664/5 CE)Abstract: Sheikh al-Islam and son of a physician to Shah 'Abbas I."
Fihrist: Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate WorldRecord origin: "Description based on the Bodleian Library's public card index of Arabic manuscripts with additional enhancements by the OCIMCO project team. Image descriptions based in part on CarboniRecord origin: S. (1988)Record origin: Il Kitab al-bulhan di Oxford."Composite manuscript in Arabic of divinatory works, dating principally from the late 14th century A.D., containing astrological, astronomical and geomantic texts compiled by Abd al-Ḥasan Al-Iṣfāhānī, with illustrations. Fol. 81a is in Turkish.Extent: 176 leaves (ff. 80 + 13 + 36 + 33 + 7 + 4 + 3). 245 x 160 mm.Layout: Various page formats.Hand: Naskh, with title in Eastern qufic, fol. 1b.Decoration: 83 illustrations, including miniatures.Binding: European calf, 17th century, double blind fillets toward board edges, blind garland rolls on fore-edges of boards, red speckled edges of textblock, numbered on fore-edge in pen, spine title stamped in gilt: Astrolog. Shelfmark on spine stamped in gilt: Bodl. 133. Paper label on spine: Arch. O c.2.
Binding: The volume is bound in a European binding of pasteboards covered with brown leather. The covers have frames formed of two gold fillets. There are five cords on the spine, with two gold fillets either side of each cord. The pastedowns are modern and are blank except for annotations of the manuscript number and a bookplate for St John’s College and E Libris Coll. Di. Jo. Bapt. Oxon. on the back pastedown.Contents note: Annotations by John Greaves (1602-1652), Savilian Professor of Astronomy (1643-8), fols. 12a/b, 13a, 15a.Contents note: Contents described on fol. iii b: Collatio Mensium Arabicorum, Cophticorum, Græcorum, & Judaicorum. Vide pag. 1. ubi habes hunc titulum doctissimi ipsius Pocockij a later hand has crossed out the last two words, and written in pencil: Gul. Laudi manuscriptum. Nec non Tabulæ quædam Astronomicæ. Omnia imperfecta. In margine passim occurrunt Notæ Viri eruditissimi Joan. Grauij, Prof. Astronom. Sauil.Contents note: In item 1, it is evident from numbers placed on each table that there were originally 23, though tables 5–6, 14–15, and 20–1 are now missing and two tables carry the number ‘9’. Ff. 10a/b, 11a and 17b are blank except for frames formed of two black-inked lines.Dimensions: 21.3 × 13.9 (text area 17 × 10.2) cm.Hand: Both items written in a variable (small to medium) Arabic naskh using black and red inks. The text area has not been ruled, but the tables are divided into rows and columns. The texts are written in tables whose cells are delineated by red- and black-inked lines; occasionally there is writing around the perimeter of the table.Layout: The text area has not been ruled, but the tables are divided into rows and columns. The texts are written in tables whose cells are delineated by red and black inked lines; occasionally there is writing around the perimeter of the table. Lines per page vary.Origin note: "No copyist's signature or date(s) or place(s) of copying."Record origin: "Descriptions abbreviated from Emilie Savage-SmithRecord origin: A descriptive Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts at St John's CollegeRecord origin: Oxford (Oxford: Oxford University PressRecord origin: 2005)Record origin: Entries. Nos. 4 and 10Record origin: pp. 19-22Record origin: 41-2."Item 1 (ff. 1a–9b) is an incomplete set of Arabic astronomical tables; item 2 (ff. 10a–17b) is a set of calendrical conversion tables for dates in the years 1022 to 1121H (1613 to 1709) followed by tables for the position of the sun in the zodiac for the latitude of Aleppo for the year 1028/1618 "according to recent observations."
Fihrist: Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate WorldThe greatest influence on the development of Arabic astronomy was the Almagest of Ptolemy (2nd century). The Almagest was translated several times into Arabic in the 9th century, and in the ensuing centuries attracted countless commentaries &c.
A collection of anonymous astrological and magical treatises. Also bound together with this manuscript is a lithographed copy of Kitāb fī al-tamām wa-al-kamāl by Abū Maʻshar. This book is in two parts, the first dealing with horoscopes of men and their signs the second with women. Each part has 12 sections.
Computation of solar, lunar and planetary positions for two dates in 1299 CE (midnight between the 14th and 15th of June and 6 pm on June 29th), with some Coptic numerals.Condition: torn, holesLayout: various lines in 3 columns + marginalia