Rare manuscript of unprinted practical kabbalah: Mafte’ach Shlomo – Iraq 1932. Copied from an ancient manuscript

Rare manuscript of unprinted practical kabbalah: Mafte’ach Shlomo – Iraq 1932. Copied from an ancient manuscript
Rare manuscript, a copy of the book “Mafte’ach Shlomo” on “magic, goralot, and practical kabbalah, segulot and remedies. Attributed to King Solomon. The book contains vows of 100 demons written by Solomon, their names, how to defeat them, and what they are responsible for…”

Mizrahi handwriting with many kabbalistic illustrations. The back of the binding has the name of the scribe: “Faraj Yehezkel Rachamin ben Yaakov Yehezkel Rachamin”. He notes: “This book was hidden by a Jew since 1705 and today (which is 1931, 28th of Tishrei), I copied it, and it is originally from Amsterdam. The manuscript referred to as the original exists and resides in Oxford—a facsimile edition of it was printed in 1914, a limited edition of only 300 copies. We have consulted one such copy and confirmed complete accordance between this manuscript and the original.

The work itself is composed from a number of smaller sources which are referred to by different names in different sets of manuscripts: “King Solomon”, “Sefer HaMaor”, “MiMaalot HaYare’ach”, “Sefer HaNisionot”. The work itself has never been printed and was only released, as stated, in a facsimile edition or in bits and pieces.

For more on the work, see the article by Gal Sofer on Hebrew Manuscripts of Mafte’ach Shlomo and his chapter on the magic of Shabbtaists. In the Kobetz Kabbalah (Los Angeles, 2015), vol. 32, pp. 135-174, esp. 136-151. And the article by Yisrael Weinstock – Alpha Beta of Metatron, in Temirin, vol. 2 (1982), p. 55.

Later there is an inscription: “This book is new and all tried and tested, a copy of the manuscript in Vienna, which was in Prague”. Under the title is a smaller bit of writing: “And it is unknown…it came into my possession and I carried out the mitzvah of returning a lost item…I found it and copied it…this is the labor following the great philosopher Rabbi Yehuda Diklosh from these 7 sections…”.

72, 7 leaves. Total of 142 written pages. Leaf 13 has tears and missing text. 21x32cm. No binding, moisture stains and wear, very good condition.