Auction 85 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Five Megillot – Shir HaShirim, Ruth, Eicha, Kohelet and Esther, with Rashi's commentary. [Naples: Joseph son of Jacob Ashkenazi Gunzenhauser, 1487].
Five Megillot, from an edition of Ketuvim printed by Gunzenhauser. Without title page (opens with a blank page).
The text was printed using three different typefaces: the first verse of Shir HaShirim was printed in Ashkenazic square type, the text of the Megillot in Italian-Sephardic square type and Rashi's commentary in Italian-Sephardic semi-cursive (Rashi) type.
First verse of Shir HaShirim within a decorative vine border.
The printer, Joseph son of Jacob Ashkenazi Gunzenhauser (from Gunzenhausen, Bavaria), was a pioneer in Hebrew printing, active in Italy. He established his printing press in Naples ca. 1487, and passed away in 1490. His son, Azriel, continued operating the press for another two years, until 1492 (the year of the Spanish expulsion). The press produced about 15 Hebrew books.
[29] leaves. Five Megillot originally: [30] leaves (entire Ketuvim: [150] leaves). Lacking last leaf of Shir HaShirim (replaced in photocopy).
24.5 cm. Condition varies. Stains, including large dampstains and dark stains. In Shir HaShirim: minor worming, with almost no damage to text; open tear to last leaf, not affecting text. Wear and marginal tears. In Ruth and Eicha: open marginal tear to first leaf, not affecting text. Minor worming, slightly affecting text. In Kohelet and Esther: extensive worming, with significant damage to text on some leaves. Open tears to all margins of first leaf of Megillat Esther, affecting text, repaired with paper. Tears to several other leaves, repaired with paper. New binding. Worming to binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Five Books of the Torah, with Targum, Rashi and Chizkuni commentaries, and five Megillot with Rashi commentary. [Venice: Daniel Bomberg, 1524].
Bound with: Haftarot for the entire year according to Sephardic and Ashkenazic rites. [Venice: Daniel Bomberg for Cornelius Adelkind, 1548].
Several glosses in Persian script, signed "Nehorai son of R. Aharon Rofeh" or "Nehorai".
The last leaf of the Torah section bears many inscriptions in Persian script recording a birth and deaths in 1711-1792. On the last page of the Haftarot section, inscriptions in Yiddish from Manheim, 17th century.
Five Books of the Torah and five Megillot: [315] leaves. Lacking title page. Haftarot: [26] leaves. 32 cm. Fair condition. Some leaves in fair-poor condition. Many stains. Dampstains. Extensive wear. Tears, including many open tears, affecting text in many places, repaired with paper (with handwritten replacements). Large open tears to first leaf (with loss of most of the leaf; mounted on paper for reinforcement). This leaf, and some other heavily damaged leaves, are accompanied by photocopies (photocopies bound following damaged leaves). Leaves trimmed with damage to headings of a number of leaves. Old binding.
Missing [24] leaves of Haftarot originally printed with the Five Books of the Torah. These leaves were replaced with Haftarot from a later edition, printed by Cornelius Adelkind in the Bomberg press in 1548.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Rashi's Commentary to the Torah and the Megillot. [Augsburg: Chaim son of David Shachor, 1533].
Incomplete copy. Printed without a title page. Illustrations of a lion and a scorpion at the opening of each chumash and Shir HaShirim.
Several glosses and inscriptions (early Ashkenazic script). Late signature on endpaper.
[138] leaves (originally [191] leaves; lacking 53 leaves: 25 leaves at beginning, 24 leaves in middle and 4 leaves at end). 4-leaf gatherings (each gathering numbered on first page). This copy is lacking gatherings 1-7 (except for three inconsecutive leaves), 24-29, the fourth leaf of gathering 47 and gathering 48 (a 3-leaf gathering). 19 cm. Condition varies (most leaves in good condition, some leaves in fair condition). First two leaves heavily browned. Stains, including dampstains (mold stains to a few leaves). Open tears, affecting text, to first three leaves, repaired in part with paper. Open tears to margins of several other leaves. Old binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Hebraicus Pentateuchus Latinus / Five Books of the Torah and five Megillot, with Latin translation and commentary. Venice: Justinian, 1551.
Printed from left to right. Hebrew and Latin on facing columns. Large printer's device on a separate leaf at the end of book. Woodcut headpieces at the beginning of the Books of the Torah and of the five Megillot. At the end of Devarim, a section (in Hebrew) titled Maalot Moshe, about the greatness of Moshe Rabbenu (not recorded in Bibliography of the Hebrew Book).
Handwritten glosses (Latin with some Hebrew).
Hebrew ownership inscription on last leaf, deleted, probably of R. Shlomo Padua, 1723.
CCVIII, 209-376, [1] leaves. Without [1] blank leaf, originally bound before the final leaf. 20.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Minor dampstains. Worming, affecting text (affecting also title page border and printer's device on final leaf). Marginal open tears to some leaves. Stamps and inscriptions. New binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Bible. [Frankfurt an der Oder: Iohannis & Friderici Hartmannorum Bibliopolarum, 1595]. Four parts in one volume.
Separate title pages for Neviim Rishonim, Neviim Acharonim and Ketuvim (title page of the Five Books of the Torah is lacking in this copy).
Numerous handwritten Latin marginalia.
Four parts in one volume. Torah and the Five Megillot: [147] leaves. Lacking title page. Neviim Rishonim: [112] leaves. Neviim Acharonim: [119] leaves. Ketuvim: [127] leaves. Lacking final leaf, with the colophon. 23.5 cm. Most of the leaves in good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears to several leaves, including open tears to first leaf, affecting text, repaired with paper. Detached gatherings (the book is split into three parts). Original leather binding, damaged (with torn spine), detached.
Johann and Friedrich Hartmann printed four editions of the Bible in 1595, in four different sizes.
One of the first Hebrew books printed in Frankfurt an der Oder.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Five Books of the Torah with the Five Megillot. Frankfurt an der Oder: Iohannis & Friderici Hartmannorum Bibliopolarum, 1595. Small format.
Five Books of the Torah and Five Megillot, with vocalization and te'amim, from the complete edition of the Bible printed at that time.
Five Books of the Torah: [512] leaves (including [1] blank leaf after the Book of Vayikra and another blank leaf after the Book of Devarim). Five Megillot: [64] leaves. Approx. 12 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Worming, affecting text (extensive worming to some leaves). Ownership inscriptions and other inscriptions, in Latin. Early parchment binding, with damage.
Johann and Friedrich Hartmann printed four editions of the Bible in 1595, in four different sizes.
One of the first Hebrew books printed in Frankfurt an der Oder.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Biblia Ebraea, eleganti et maiuscula characterum forma – Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim, arranged by Elias Hutter. Hamburg: ex bibliopolio Frobeniano, 1603.
This Hebrew Bible, known as Hutter's Hebrew Bible, was prepared by the Hebraist Elias Hutter, professor of Hebrew at the Leipzig University. Hutter aspired to produce a Bible which would be easy to read, and would facilitate the study of Hebrew. He therefore printed it using two different types – the root letters were printed in regular, thick type, whilst the inflectional letters were printed in hollow type. The root letters which do not appear in the word were printed above it in small type.
First title page printed in red and black; additional title pages for Neviim Rishonim, Neviim Acharonim and Ketuvim. All within architectural engraved borders.
[7], 423, [1], 425-1135, [1], 1140-1572 pages. 35.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Dark ink stains affecting text on some leaves. Marginal tears to first title page. Some open tears (with minor loss to text), repaired with paper. Title pages trimmed, slightly affecting engraved borders. Handwritten inscriptions (English and Latin) on endpapers. Inscriptions on several other pages. Original leather binding. Spine restored. Damage to binding. Bookplate on inside back board ("Rev H. Campbell").
Hutter's Hebrew Bible was first published in 1587. The following editions used the stock of the first edition, adding different title pages and introductions (the 1587 stock was also used for the Hamburg polyglot of 1596). According to the Bibliogrphy of the Hebrew Book, there are differences between copies of this edition. Some copies open with [11] pages. This copy opens with [7] pages (as does the copy of the national library of France).
An almost identical edition was published in 1603 in Cologne.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim. Geneva: Capa Elon, 1617-1618.
Set in four volumes. Pocket size.
Four volumes. Vol. I (Five Books of the Torah): [524] leaves (including 12 blank leaves). Vol. II (Yehoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel and Melachim): [449] leaves (including 9 blank leaves). Vol. III (Yeshayah, Yirmiyah, Yechezkel and Trei Asar): [459] leaves (including 4 blank leaves). Vol. IV (Divrei HaYamim, Daniel, Ezra, Nechemiah, Tehillim, Mishlei, Five Megillot and Iyov): [563] leaves (including 8 blank leaves).
11 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Worming to first two volumes, affecting text. Worming to vol. III, not affecting text. Dampstains and mold stains to final leaves of vol. IV. Tears, some open, to several leaves, not affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Many Latin inscriptions. Original parchment bindings, with defects.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Mikraot Gedolot, Torah Neviim and Ketuvim, with commentaries. Basel: Ludwig König, [1618-1619].
Complete set in four volumes, large format.
Vol. I: Five Books of the Torah, with Targum Onkelos, the commentaries of Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Baal HaTurim, and Masorah.
Vol. II: Neviim Rishonim, with Targum, the commentaries of Rashi, Radak, Ralbag, R. Yeshaya, and Masorah (in this copy, Divrei HaYamim and Masorah Gedolah are bound at the end of this volume).
Vol. III: Neviim Acharonim, with Targum, the commentaries of Rashi, Radak and Ibn Ezra, and Masorah.
Vol. IV: Ketuvim, with Targum, and the commentaries of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Ralbag and R. Saadia Gaon.
Four volumes. Vol. I: [2], 7, [1], 228 leaves. Lacking 4 of first [6] leaves. Vol. II: [1], 234-441, [1]; 910-946; 67 leaves. Vol. III: [1], 442-705, [1] leaves. Vol IV: 707-908, [1] leaves. (Without 36 leaves of the Haftarot according to the various rites and the [2] leaves of errata, which appear in a few copies only). Divrei HaYamim was bound out of sequence, after Melachim (in vol. II). Targum Yerushalmi, which originally appears at the end of vol. IV, was bound at the beginning of vol. I (7, [1] leaves). Leaf following leaf 441, leaf following leaf 705, leaf 838 and leaf 882 are originally blank. The blank leaves which sometimes appear following leaf 685 and following leaf 67 of the second sequence (at the end of vol. II of this set) do not appear in this copy.
39.5 cm. Many darkened leaves. Overall good-fair condition. Some leaves of vol. III are in fair condition. Stains. Dampstains. Worming, affecting text. Tears, including open tears affecting text. In vol. III: traces of past dampness and severe dampstains, wear, tears, paper for reinforcement and extensive worming affecting text to some leaves. Many stamps, inscriptions. New bindings.
Stamps of "Moshe Yechezkel Ehrlich, Warsaw", "Yechezkel Moshe Ehrlich".
Some copies include an additional title page, in Latin, with a Latin introduction by Johannes Buxtorf on verso. This copy does not include this leaf (see Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, record 182291, for variants of this edition).
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Bible, Biblia Hebraica, ex aliquot manuscriptis et compluribus impressis codicibus, edited by Johann Heinrich Michaelis. Halle (Germany), 1720.
Hebrew, with Latin introduction and commentary. Engraved frontispiece. Title page printed in red and black. Latin dedication to King Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia.
This edition was edited by Johann Heinrich Michaelis. It includes a Latin translation of the Mesorah Ketana and a Latin commentary.
Handwritten marginalia on several leaves.
[6], 32 pages; 332, [1] leaves; 16 pages; 334-402 leaves; 12 pages; 403-464 leaves; 4 pages; 465-848, [2] leaves. Leaves 250-251 are bound out of order. 31.5 cm. Wide margins. Good-fair condition. Many stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Wear to some leaves. Marginal tears, including open tears to several leaves. Handwritten inscriptions. New binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Tikkun Sofrim – Parashiot and Haftarot. Amsterdam, 1726.
The printing was "commissioned by Samuel Rodrigues Mendes, Moses Sarfati and David Gomes da Silva". With approbations, piyyutim, and various poems.
Two title pages at the beginning of the volume. The first title page was engraved by Bernard Picart. Divisional title page for the Haftarot.
One volume comprising: Five Books of the Torah, Haftarot, table of Torah readings for the festivals, and calendars in Spanish (with folding plates). The calendar section has its own Spanish title page: Calendario facil y curiozo de las tablas lunares calculadas con las tablas solares, with a Hebrew heading: "These are the festivals of G-d, holy occasions". Amsterdam, 1726.
All the parts in one volume. [5], 3-327, [2], 329-446; [10] leaves; 16, [1] pages. Folding pp. [3-8] bound after p. 16. [6] leaves originally bound at beginning of book, bound here at end. Approx. 17 cm. Good condition. Stains. Tears to several leaves, including tear to one folding plate, slightly affecting text. Gilt edges. Original leather binding, with gilt decorations (partly faded), with original marbled endpapers. Defects and wear to binding (in particular to spine; perforations from clasps on both boards).
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Tikun Sofrim – Five Books of the Torah and Five Megillot, with Haftarot. Amsterdam: Dayan R. Moshe Frankfurt, 1727.
Two title pages, the first engraved. A separate title page for the Haftarot "according to Ashkenazi and Sephardi rites". At the end, one-hundred-year calendar for 1730-1830.
The printer R. Moshe Frankfurt (1678-1768), a dayan in Amsterdam, wrote and printed many books in his own printing press and elsewhere in Amsterdam.
Two printed leaves are bound after the title page of Haftarot – an advertisement issued prior to the publication of the Chumash. The first page features a sample of the beginning of Bereshit. This is followed by a notice from the publisher, praising the Chumash.
[1], 367, [1]; [3], 118, [3] leaves. 17.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Dampstains. Worming, repaired with paper. Tears, including small open tears, affecting text. Loose and partially detached leaves and gatherings. Handwritten inscriptions to endpapers. Early, worn, leather binding, with damage and worming, partially detached. Metal clasp.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.