Sepher Tehillim. With commentary by Solomon ben Shem Tov Atthia

AUCTION 25 | Monday, October 25th, 2004 at 1:00
Important Hebrew Printed Books: The Property of a Gentleman

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Lot 8
(BIBLE. PSALMS)

Sepher Tehillim. With commentary by Solomon ben Shem Tov Atthia

FIRST EDITION, Title within ornate architectural arch. Scattered marginalia in an Italian Sephardic hand ff. 67. Title remargined, neat paper repair to f.2, stained in places. Occasional censors deletions, presently eminently readable. Later calf-backed patterned boards, rubbed. Sm. folio Vinograd Vence 381; Habermann, Adelkind 53; St. Cat. Bodl. 130

Venice: Cornelio Adelkind for Marco Antonio Giustiniani 1549

Est: $3,000 - $5,000
PRICE REALIZED $4,250
The commentary combines a variety of approaches including Peshat - with an emphasis explaining how each verse logically follows the previous verse, as well as kabbalistic interpretations “as certain chapters cannot be interpreted in any other fashion”. The initial Introduction is of great historic interest. It enumerates two generations of nearly 70 scholars and rabbinic leaders that the author had visited or studied with. Includes personages from cities in Greece (Saloniki, Patras); Turkey (Adrianpole, Bursa, Constantinople); Italy (Rome, Venice, Padua, Mantua, Ancona, Verona) etc. It is interesting to note the differing honorifics the author bestows upon his teachers. For example, his master R. Levi ben Chaviv (Maharalba”ch) is entitled “Butzina Kadisha - holy light,' while R. Joseph Fassi is denoted as the ”Light of Israel in Talmud, the mighty hammer.” Athias writes a lengthy account of members of the illustrious Taitatzak Family as well as concise biographical descriptions of many others