Or Amim, by R. Ovadia Sforno. Bologna: Silk Weaver's Guild, [1537]. First edition.
The author, R. Ovadia Sforno (d. 1550) was a leading Italian Torah scholar, renowned for his commentary to the Torah. He lived in Bologna, where he served as posek and earned a living as an expert physician. He was presumably one of the sponsors (or the initiators) of the establishment of the press of the Silk Weaver's Guild in Bologna. In his philosophic work Or Amim, R. Ovadia Sforno challenges and refutes the theories of the renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle. He later translated his work to Latin, and the Latin edition was also printed in Bologna, a year later, in 1538. This is the first book printed by the Silk Weaver's Guild (and one of the first Hebrew books printed in Bologna).
Ownership inscriptions on the title page: "This book was allotted to me, I ---" (deleted); "Was allotted to me, Michael Elisha of Mode[na]" (a Torah scholar of Modena. His surname was Malach. Died 1656. See enclosed material).
On final page, Hebrew inscription in Italian script: "…the derogatory words about pagans do not refer to Christians…". This inscription was presumably written by an apostate censor (see: Benayahu, Haskama VeReshut BiDfusei Venitzia, p. 192). Censors' signatures in Italian beneath this inscription.
64 leaves. 19 cm. Wide margins. High-quality paper. Good condition. Stains (including dark stains). Worming (affecting text of first leaves). Inscriptions. New binding, with minor damage.