Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Bava Batra. [Venice, 1521]. Printed by Daniel Bomberg. First edition.
A volume from the first edition of the Talmud printed by the renowned printer Daniel Bomberg in Venice. Bomberg’s edition was the first printed edition of the complete Babylonian Talmud. This well-known edition became a common basis for all subsequent editions of the Talmud. It introduced the “tzurat hadaf” (the layout of the page), and the pagination still in use today.
3-217 leaves (the last leaf is mistakenly marked 609). Lacking title page and Leaf 2. 33.5 cm. Generally good condition. Leaves 3-6 have a few stains and restorations for reinforcement at the edges, without damage to text. The last leaf is detached, has restorations without damage to text and a lengthwise tear in the inner corner, restored with damage to text. Few worm damages on the inner edges. Apart from that, the book is clean. Few glosses in ancient Oriental writing (notes of sources and corrections). Many stamps. Later binding with vellum spine. Ex-libris of Lazarus Goldschmidt, the known Judaic studies scholar.