Mishneh Torah by the Rambam, with comments of the Ra'avad and the Magid Mishneh, and with the Kesef Mishneh commentary by R. Yosef Karo. Vol. 4 (of a total of four volumes), Nezikim-Shoftim. [Venice: Bragadin, 1575]. First edition of the Kesef Mishneh.
Many signatures by sages from Salonika, Hebron and Jerusalem [of the following families: Taitazak, HaLevi, Navon, Tarfon, Tilias, Alkalai, etc.]. Hundreds of glosses and corrections by several writers, in Oriental script. Long scholarly glosses and short corrections and referrals to sources. Some of the glosses are from the time of printing [turn of the 16th century], whereas others were written at a later time [17th and 18th centuries].
Signatures, including signatures in glosses: 1. At the end of the index leaves (before leaf 1): "This book belongs to me Yitzchak Navon… son of R. Ye'uda Navon" [R. Yitzchak Navon (died in 1787), author of Dayan Emet, son of R. Yehuda Navon, author of Kiryat Melech Rav and grandson of R. Efraim Navon, author of Machane Efraim].
2. Several curly calligraphic signatures (pages 95/b, 96/a, 109/a, other trimmed signatures): "Ye'uda ---" [Ninio?].
3. At the end of Mishpatim (page 224/a), are several signatures and ownership inscriptions: "Shlomo of the HaLevi family"; "David Taita[zak]"; "The sage R. David Taitazak". On the verso (page 224/b) are two signatures: "Shlomo son of R. Ya'akov Tarfon" [earlier (Ladino) inscription: "Endando fur on"].
4. Cited in a gloss on page 45/b: "…and my wise brother-in-law […[Sh]muel Taitazak…" [perhaps this is a citation in the name of R. Shmuel Taitazak (the second), a leading sage of Salonika and Turkey, whose novellae were printed in the book She'erit Yehuda" (Venice, 1600), printed after his death].
5. At the end of Sefer Kinyan (page 146/b), is a long ownership inscription with a calligraphic signature: "…Refael David Efraim Tiliyas…" [R. Refael David Efraim Tiliyas, dayan in the city of Hebron (died before 1811), father-in-law of R. Yitzchak Chai Refael Shaul HaCohen Rabbi of Hebron. In a eulogy delivered by R. Nissim Chaim Shalom Ya'akov Margonto printed in the book Darkei Shalom (Salonika, 1811, page 63/b), R. Tiliyas is described as: "The complete sage, excellent dayan, pious and holy, my nephew R. Refael David Efraim Tiliyas"].
6. On page 200/a is a long complete gloss, signed "…Y.N." [the handwriting differs from the signature of R. Yitzchak Navon. Perhaps he had another type of handwriting, or perhaps this signature belongs to another sage of the Navon family].
7. A number of glosses are titled [in a different handwriting] with initials for identifying the person who wrote them: "A.S.", "A.S.T.", "A.M.T." (Leaves: 73/a; 74/a; 79/a; 83/a; 88/a; 102/a; 105/a; 127/a).
8. The signature "…Moshe Alkalai" appears on page 47/a.
[9], 297, [8] leaves. Lacking title page and last leaf. 27 cm. Fair condition. Stains and worming. Shaved margins affecting most of the glosses in the manuscript. New Bristol binding.
Without last leaf containing the colophon of the printers' concluding words, with the notice of the death of the author, Maran R. Yosef Karo, before the printing was finished: "…died on Thursday the 13th of Nissan 1575".