(Moses ben Gershon Gentili). Malecheth Machsheveth [novellae to the Pentateuch based upon the Natural Sciences].

The author, a native of Trieste and a child prodigy, developed into a fine Rabbinic decisor as well as a scholar deeply familiar with the the sciences. The engraved frontispiece portrait depicts the author without a head covering and clean-shaven as was the custom among many of the Rabbis of Italy. Interestingly, the author’s portrait in the second edition of the work (Koenigsberg, 1814), was altered to include a head-covering, gray hair and the Hebrew title “The Sage” (HaGaon), seemingly more becoming of a Rabbi. The portrait in this first edition is often lacking. According to Yudlow (in his description of the Mehlman copy), the index of philosophical subjects discussed entitled “Kelalim B’Mechkar” is especially scarce, as it was printed after completion of the publication and not inserted in many copies.