Shevilei Emunah [scientific and kabbalistic encyclopedia]

AUCTION 34 | Tuesday, September 12th, 2006 at 1:00

Exemplary Hebrew Books: The Library of Joseph Gradenwitz, Esq.

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Lot 4

ALDABI, MEIR.

Shevilei Emunah [scientific and kabbalistic encyclopedia]

FIRST EDITION. With aSTRONOMICAL DIAGRAMS. Three Hebrew letters of word “Sepher” on title in vignettes. Wide-margined copy. On final blank, censor’s inscription: “Visto per mi Fra[te] Luigi da [Seen by me, Father Luigi of…]. See Wm. Poppers, The Censorship of Hebrew Books (1969), plate IV, no.1 ff.130. ff.13-20 out of sequence and found between ff. 24-25. Shorter leaves ff.122-123 supplied from another copy. Title with previous owner’s marks. Upper corners of opening eight leaves repaired, lightly stained. Modern limp vellum, upper cover with scribal calligraphy. 4to Vinograd, Riva 12

Riva di Trento: J. Marcaria 1558

Est: $1,000 - $1,500

PRICE REALIZED $2,300

Meir Aldabi (c.1310-c.1360), was a grandson of the Ro"sh (Asher ben Yechiel). In 1348 he made his way from his native Toledo to Jerusalem, where his work Shevilei Emunah was completed. This popular work combines the Author's predilection for Kabbalah together with a knowledge of philosophy, medicine and science. It contains ten sections called “Nethivim” (roads), subdivided into chapters "Shevilim” (paths). It was reprinted many times and served as a source of scientific information for generations. See Waxman, History of Jewish Literature, Vol. II, pp. 318-9 The British Museum copy of this Riva di Trento edition is “imperfect at end,” a later Amsterdam edition contains manuscript notes by R. Jacob Emden (see Zedner p. 521)