RaMBa”M). Sepher Ha’mitzvoth [“The Book of Precepts”]. Translated from Judeo-Arabic by Moses ibn Tibbon

AUCTION 20 | Monday, June 02nd, 2003 at 5:00

Important Hebrew Printed Books from the Library of the Late Salman Schocken (1877-1959)

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Lot 32

MOSES BEN MAIMON (MAIMONIDES/.

RaMBa”M). Sepher Ha’mitzvoth [“The Book of Precepts”]. Translated from Judeo-Arabic by Moses ibn Tibbon

FIRST EDITION. Complete, printed without a title page. Initial letter within woodcut border. Wide-margined copy ff. 68. Stained in places, paper repairs to first two leaves, previous owners’ signature and stamp on first page, scattered marginalia, signed by censor on final leaf. later limp boards, rubbed. Sm. 4to Vinograd, Const. 63; Yaari, Const. 80; Mehlman 763; not in Adams

Constantinople: n.p. c. 1515-20

Est: $12,000 - $15,000

PRICE REALIZED $47,000

RARE FIRST EDITION. A PLEASING COPY OF A FUNDAMENTAL RABBINICAL TEXT Maimonides composed his Sepher Ha’mitzvoth prior to his epic Rabbinic Code, the Mishneh Torah. Here, the precepts of the Torah are enumerated which, according to Maimonides understanding, traditionally numbered 613. In his introduction, Maimonides explains the principles he employed in determining how his enumeration was effected. The work is not simply a listing of the commandments but Maimonides defines each one, often at great length