(BIBLE,

FIRST POLYGLOT BIBLE EDITION. The Second Book Printed in Arabic. THE ONLY BOOK PRINTED AT GENOA IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. AN EARLY REFERENCE TO CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS’ DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. “A monument of Renaissance typography, this Psalter was linguistically the most ambitious work attempted to date, and the first Polyglot work ever published. It provides the Psalms in five languages as well as a marginal scholarship based largely on rabbinic sources. The Arabic text is one of the first two texts and the first biblical text, ever printed in this language. The Hebrew types used in this book were apparently never used again.” See, B. Sabin Hill, Hebraica from the Valmadonna Trust, The Piermont Morgan Library (1989), no. 18. The learned Dominican Agostino Giustinianni, Bishop of Nebbio in Corsica, and later Professor of Hebrew at the College de France, devoted himself to the study of Oriental languages. He spared no expense in the preparation of this first Polyglot edition of the Book of Psalms which was popular with Churchmen of the age who sought Christological references in its lyrical, prophetic poetry. He summoned the Milanese printer Pietro Paulo Porro, a master-printer at Turin, to Genoa to undertake the printing of this Psalter. In addition to this edition of 2,000 copies, Giustinianni printed 50 copies on vellum for presentation to royalty. His “Scholia” commentary reveals his considerable scholarship. Of particular interst are his comments on Psalm 19, verse 4; “Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.” On this verse the bishop says; “In our own times, by his wonderful daring, Christopher Columbus, the Genoese, has discovered almost another world and a new congregation of Christians. In truth, as Columbus often maintained that God had chosen him as the instrument for the fulfillment of this prophecy, I deem it not improper here to refer to his life…” The lengthly note contains previously unpublished information on Columbus’ life and second voyage. See Amram, The Makers of Hebrew Books in Italy, pp.225-9. PROVENANCE: 1. Bibliotheca Woogiana, with library plate on front paste-down. 2. Robert Travers, Trinity College, Dublin, 1836. 2. The Rev. Aaron Levy Green (1821-1883), Honorary Secretary of Jews’ College, with his stamp on several leaves.