Farissol, Abraham. Igereth Orchoth Olam [“The Ways of the World” ]

The first Hebrew book concerning the discovery of the New World. A pioneering work on geography, the book is divided into two parts: the first dealing with a general description of the earth, its division into climactic zones, continents and individual countries. The second part focuses on the new discoveries made by the Portuguese and Spanish explorers. Farissol discusses the location of the Terrestrial Paradise and gives a detailed account of the discoveries of Vasco de Gama during his travels around the Cape of Good Hope on the way to India. In his chapter on the discovery of America, Farissol describes both the land and the people living there, based on contemporary accounts. It is the first Hebrew text to contain a description of America. The author was Cantor of the Synagogue in Ferrara and a contemporary of Christopher Columbus. See M. Waxman, Vol. II pp. 485-7