(Attributed to). Mirkeveth Hamishnah

AUCTION 11 | Tuesday, November 28th, 2000 at 1:00

Important Hebrew Printed Books and Manuscripts From the Library of the London Beth Din

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Lot 9

ASHER ANSHEL OF CRACOW

(Attributed to). Mirkeveth Hamishnah

FIRST EDITION. Engraved frontispiece incorporating the symbols of Poland and crest of the City of Cracow (see Habermann, Sha’arei Sepharim Ivri’im no.20) ff.86 (of 87) opening leaf supplied in facsimile; few stains, closely shaved affecting a few letters, opening two leaves crudely taped, lower corners of final two leaves with loss. Unbound. Sm. 4to Vinograd, Cracow 7 (noting JNUL copy incomplete); Mehlman 1366; not in Adams

[Cracow]: Sons of Chaim Halicz [1534]

Est: $5,000 - $7,000

PRICE REALIZED $6,500

The First Book to be Printed in Yiddish. An alphabetical concordance and glossary of the Bible, with references and Yiddish translations of words, arranged according to the system of David Kimchi in his Sherashim (see lot 75). Waxman posits a polemical background to the publication of the Mirkeveth Hamishnah, pointing out that Luther’s German translation of the Bible was also published in 1534 and that the Jews were interested in publishing this concordance to counter-balance Luther’s translation. A possible pedagogic factor was the desire to facilitate the study of the Bible for uneducated Jews, particularly women and children. An important work for the early history of Yiddish. See M. Waxman, Vol. II, pp.637-8; A.M. Habermann, Studies in the History of Hebrew Printers (1978) pp.137-8