Yosef Da’ath [super-commentary to Rashi on the Pentateuch]

AUCTION 21 | Thursday, December 04th, 2003 at 1:00

Kestenbaum & Company Holds Inaugural Auction of Hebrew Printed Books & Manuscripts at Their New Galleries

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Lot 119

JOSEPH BEN ISSACHAR.

Yosef Da’ath [super-commentary to Rashi on the Pentateuch]

FIRST EDITION. Title within typographical border. Map of the Land of Israel together with other woodcut plates and text-illustrations striving to clarify errors in Rashi’s commentary by using an early manuscript text ff.1-60,(2),65-146 (of 152). Lacking ff.147-152. Browned and lightly stained, neat paper re-enforcement on verso of second unnumbered leaf. Contemporary sheep-backed boards, gently rubbed. Sm. 4to Vinograd, Prague 168

Prague: Gershom ben Bezalel Katz 1609

Est: $1,000 - $1,500

PRICE REALIZED $2,750

This important map of the Land of Israel is based on Mordechai Jaffe’s earlier effort that appeared in his Levushim (1590-1604). R. Joseph’s map however, is more clearly defined, the mountains are easily visible and the cities are shown by towers and decorated with flags - an altogether sophisticated representation. The details of the map were entirely based on information derived from the Bible and its commentaries, for, as E. & G. Wajntraub point out in their Hebrew Maps of the Holy Land (1992) pp.42-3, “it was not possible to draw eye-witness reports, and all geographical data is based on geographical knowledge of the Bible (only).” See also Z. Vilnay, Hamapah Ha’ivrit shel Eretz Yisrael (1968) p.15 (illustrated)