Chavatzeleth Hasharon [commentary to Book of Daniel, with text]

AUCTION 17 | Tuesday, November 12th, 2002 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts and Works of Graphic and Ceremonial Art From Various Owners

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Lot 19

ALSHEICH, MOSES.

Chavatzeleth Hasharon [commentary to Book of Daniel, with text]

FIRST EDITION. A wide-margined copy ff. (116). Light stains in places, manuscript inscriptions on front-free endpaper, title and f.2, signed by censor on verso of final leaf. Modern cloth, retaining earlier blind-tooled morocco covers. Sm. 4to Vinograd, Const. 223; Yaari, Const. 165; Adams B-1600; JNUL copy incomplete

Safed/Constantinople?: n.p 1563

Est: $7,000 - $9,000

PRICE REALIZED $13,000

AN IMPORTANT AND UNCOMMON WORK, IN UNUSUALLY FINE CONDITION. Steinschneider (Cat. Bodl. no.180) lists the book as printed in Safed. Wiener (no.3727), Roest (p.221) and Zedner (p.147) all follow a similar logic. Thus assuming it to be the earliest Safed imprint and indeed the earliest Hebrew book printed in Asia. Yaari posits it is a Constantinople imprint from the press of Solomon ben Isaac Yaavetz. The Chavatzeleth Hasharon was the first book published by Moses Alsheich, a significant personality among the illustrious denizens of 16th-century Safed, indeed he is one of the few outstanding scholars to have the appendage “Hakadosh” (The Holy) universally cited after his name. (Others are the Shaloh and the Ohr Hachaim)