Sefer Evronot
Unknown illustrator
Sefer Evronot (Book of Intercalations)
Manuscript on paper
Fulda, 1668
Sifre Evronot (singular: Sefer Evronot) are examples of a genre of Jewish literature that calculates astronomical data to determine important dates, including Jewish holidays, moon circles, new months, and prayer times. Sifre Evronot are important additions to Jewish calendars and are related to books of ephemerides, daily tables showing the planetary positions in a broader context. This genre became popular in the Middle Ages, and its significance was further underscored by the distinctive artistry and iconography of the manuscripts of this kind.
This 17th-century German Sefer Evronot manuscript is profusely illustrated. The page on the left shows a colored square chart called panim ahor (literally “other face,” but used in this context to mean “front to back” or “future to past”), which contains astronomical calculations written in Hebrew. The right page depicts a volvelle, a type of layered circle with movable discs designed for facilitating calculations.
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries.
