Yosef Lekach [commentary to the Book of Esther, with text]

AUCTION 13 | Tuesday, June 26th, 2001 at 1:00
Important Hebrew Printed Books and Manuscripts Together With Fine Graphic and Ceremonial Art

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Lot 159
ASCHKENAZI, ELIEZER BEN ELIJAH HA’ROPHÈ

Yosef Lekach [commentary to the Book of Esther, with text]

FIRST EDITION. Title within historiated woodcut architectural arch. ff. 83. Few light dampstains, previous owners signatures on title. Recent blind-tooled morocco boards. Sm. 4to Vinograd, Cremona 46; Benayahu, Cremona 45; Adams B-1335

Cremona: Christopher Draconi 1576

Est: $400 - $600
PRICE REALIZED $550
Eliezer Aschkenazi held influential positions in widely scattered Jewish communites from Egypt, Cyprus and Italy to the major 16th century centers in Poland, where he died. His Biblical exegesis is permiated with the contemporary rationalistic spirit of rabbinical scholarship. This edition of Yosef Lekach, was the last Hebrew book printed in Cremona, which for a little over twently years was a center of Jewish learning and printing, amidst the rigid censorship of the Inquisition. On the Hebrew press at Cremona see D. Amram, The Makers of Hebrew Books in Italy (1963) pp. 306-19. Bibliographers note two variants of this edition, distinguished by the presence or absence of a final unnumbered leaf. Benayahu notes the later, (as in the present volume), is in fact the scarcer of the two. This suggests that the reprint was not due to a loss or destruction of the former. Benayahu additionally suggests the year of publication of the present variant is spurious. For an analysis of typographical variances between the two variants see, M. Benayahu Ha’dephus Ha’ivri Be’cremona (1971) p. 233.