Yosef Da’ath [super-commentary to Rashi on the Pentateuch]

AUCTION 6 | Tuesday, November 17th, 1998 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Books, Manuscripts and Works of Art The Property of Various Owners

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Lot 280

JOSEPH BEN ISSACHAR.

Yosef Da’ath [super-commentary to Rashi on the Pentateuch]

FIRST EDITION. Title within typographical border. Map of the Land of Israel with other woodcut plates and text-illustrations striving to clarify errors in Rashi’s commentary by using an early manuscript text ff.1-60,(2),65-152. Trimmed with loss of few letters, browned and lightly stained, title rebacked, stamps on first and last page. Later sheep-backed speckled boards, gutter split. 4to

Prague: Gershom ben Bezalel Katz 1609

Est: $4,000 - $5,000

This important map of the Land of Israel is based on Mordechai Jaffe’s earlier effort that appeared in his Levushim (1590-1604). R. Joseph’s map however, is more clearly defined, the mountains are easily visible and the cities are shown by towers and decorated with flags - an altogether sophisticated representation. The details of the map were entirely based on information derived from the Bible and its commentaries, for, as E. & G. Wajntraub point out in their Hebrew Maps of the Holy Land (1992) pp.42-3, “it was not possible to draw eye-witness reports, and all geographical data is based on geographical knowledge of the Bible.” See also, Z. Vilnay, Hamapah Ha’ivrit shel Eretz Yisrael (1968) p.15 (illustrated)