 "al-'Usṭā" = "the artisan"), was described by Jacob Sapir in 1872, who brought its attention to the western world.The MS. was purchased by Sapir from the grandchildren of a certain David ben Saʻīd al-Ṣārum in San'a, whose grandfather (David), in turn, had acquired it in 1795 from a certain Abraham al-Manzeli, who, in turn, purchased it from the sons of Haroun Cohen-Iraqi, the grandchild of Aharon ha-Cohen Iraqi who purchased the codex in Egypt.They were driven to do so because of their extreme privation.