ZACUTO, ABRAHAM. Sepher Yuchasin [onomasticon and history]

THE JACOB EMDEN COPY. WITH HIS SIGNATURE ON THE TITLE PAGE AND WITH HIS EXTENSIVE AUTOGRAPHED MARGINAL NOTES. One of the most important classical works of Jewish History, the Sepher Yuchasin outlines the historical development of the Oral Law and establishes the chronology of the Sages who transmitted it. It also chronicles the history of various nations along with the state of scientific research and scholarship. The narrative reaches the author’s day (the Spanish Expulsion). Zacuto was the court astronomer and historiographer of King Juan II of Portugal. Vasco da Gama used Zacuto’s astrolabe and instructions for his voyage to India. For an historical appreciation of Zacuto, see A. Neumann, Abraham Zacuto-Historiographer in: H. A. Wolfson Jubilee Volume (1965) vol. II, pp. 597-629. A. H. Freimann, in his introduction to the scholarly “complete” edition of the Sepher Yuchasin, states the first Constantinople edition is extremely rare and that “[only a few copies]... are to be found today in the entire world.” See Sepher Yuchasin Hashalem (1963) Introduction, p. xxi). Freimann cites Steinschneider’s theory that this edition was banned or hidden because of Zacuto’s statement that the Zohar was not written by R. Shimon Bar Yochai. The second edition, (Cracow 1580-81) omits the whole section on the authorship of the Zohar as well as another chapter pertaining to Jesus Christ. See M. Steinschneider, Die Geschichsliteratur der Juden (1905) p.89. Roest (Yodea Sepher no. 686) also states that the rabbis who approved the publication of the second edition, omitted “large important parts because of their fear of the Nations and the people of the Kabbalah.” The scarcity of this edition is further attested to by the great desire of Jacob Emden to obtain this copy. Roest (Yodea Sepher no. 685) cites R. Emden: “I did not rest until I obtained it from a distant land at great expense. My messenger almost appropriated it for himself...as he saw my great hunt and pursuit of it...he wanted to keep it and brag to the men of wealth... with great strength I rescued it...it was a miracle.” (Mitpachath Sepharim, f.5a). Most of Emden’s copious manuscript notes in this copy were published by H. Filipowski in his Yuchasin Hashalem (1857). Although Filipowski did an admirable job in copying and editing Emden’s notations, at times he makes errors. Viz. Emden’s note on f.96r. concerning R. Huna and R. Hamnuna is mis-attributed by Filipowski (see p.130 in the Filipowski edition). Additionally, he omitted entirely certain passages, viz. f.80v and 83v, and occasionally did not copy them correctly, see f.86r for a slight error concerning the name cited in Berachoth 39b