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Vatican MS. Ross. 438: Main text scribe - Square

Details
Graphic Elements (25)

Details

Item

Vatican MS. Ross. 438

Collection

Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican, Vatican)

Name

Vatican MS. Ross. 438: Main text scribe - Square

Scribe

Arieh b. Eliezer Ḥalfan (אריה בן אליעזר חלפן) (Date active: 1479-1484)

Scribe Identifications

Autograph

Scribe Roles

Main text scribe

Scribe Types of Naming in Document

Full name

Script Definition

Script Type

Italian
Ashkenazi (Italo-Ashkenazi)

Script Mode

Square

Script Quality

Calligraphic

Script Function

Display

Global Aspect of the Script

Position of Written Line

Attached to the headline
Ascenders go above the headline
Descenders descend below the baseline

Text Density

Stable

Spaces Between Lines

Stable
Equal to the height of the line of writing

Spaces Between Words

Stable
Smaller than the width of an average he

Spaces Between Letters in a Word

Stable
Smaller than the width of an average vav

Text Rapidity

Very slow

Letters in a Word

Regular spacing

Approximate Size of Average Letters

Proportions of Average Letters

Regular size
Elongated vertically

Proportions of Ascenders and Descenders

Ascenders are shorter than the height of the average letter
Descenders are shorter than the height of the average letter

Parallelism Between Strokes

Downstrokes are parallel
Horizontal strokes are parallel
Ascenders are parallel to the downstrokes
Descenders are parallel to the downstrokes
Ascenders are parallel among them
Descenders are parallel among them

Width of the Stroke

Thick, traced with the full width of the flat nib
There is shading

Created: 21 Oct 2026, 4:23 p.m. by Elena Lolli

Entry Authors: Elena Lolli

How to cite this page: Elena Lolli, 'Vatican MS. Ross. 438: Main text scribe - Square', in: Hebrew Palaeography Album, General Editors: Judith Olszowy-Schlanger. Consulted online at https://www.hebrewpalaeography.com/data/specimens/2243/ on 2026-10-29.

Divine Symbol

Vatican MS. Ross. 438: Divine Symbol - #55874

Justification

Vatican MS. Ross. 438: Justification - #55886

Letter

Vatican MS. Ross. 438: Main text scribe - Square

Scribe

Script Definition

Global Aspect of the Script

Approximate Size of Average Letters

Divine Symbol

Justification

Letter

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He

Vav

Zayin

Ḥeth

Ṭeth

Yod

Kaph: final

Mem: final

Nun

Nun: final

Samekh

'Ayin

Pe

Ṣade

Qoph

Resh

Shin/Sin

Tav

Nexus