Most leaves are each 570 mm. wide with four columns per leaf. The height of the scroll is 410 mm., of which approximately 320 mm. is covered with text; the width of a single col. is approximately 130 mm.; 105 cols. in total, with approx. 83 lines of text per col.
Paper leaves are pasted together except after Exodus and Numbers, where the leaves are sewn.
Hebrew language, in formal Samaritan script.
Copied in Shechem, probably for non-liturgical use.
In two hands, one being that of Tabiah ben Pinhas.
The "great tashqil" runs from Deut. 10:8 (col. 92) and reads: "I, the poor servant, custodian in the synagogue of holy Shechem, Tabiah b. Pinhas, the priest have written this holy [Torah] on the first day of the month Nisan in the year 1330 of the dominion of the children of Ishmael, and it is the last of my property. I praise God." Since the calendar mixes the Jewish and Islamic chronology, it is difficult to determine the exact date, but the year is certainly 1911. Cf. Reinhard Pummer, "Samaritan Manuscripts in Toronto" in Revue de l'Université d'Ottawa, vol. 46, no. 3 (July-September 1976), p. 345-363.
Formerly catalogued as Fisher MSS 09251.
"Obtained in June 1912 from the sons of the priest of the present remnant of people at Nablous [sic] (Shechem) by Mt Gerizim" by J.F. McCurdy, professor of Oriental languages in the University of Toronto, and presented by him to the University Library. Cf. A.L.S. from McCurdy to H.H. Langton. (In 1912 the High Priest was Jacob b. Aaron.)
