Hebrew. Pentateuch). CHAMISHAH CHUMSHEI TORAH
AUCTION 39 |
Thursday, April 03rd,
2008 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters & Graphic Art
Lot 61
(BIBLE,
Hebrew. Pentateuch). CHAMISHAH CHUMSHEI TORAH
Berlin: Officina Serpentis for Soncino Gesellschaft 1931-33
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
PRICE REALIZED $2,250
“RANKS AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HEBREW BOOKS EVER PRINTED” (A.J. Karp).
The most ambitious undertaking of the Soncino Gesellschaft der Freunde des juedischen Buches, an organization of Jewish bibliophiles in Germany. This Bible was printed with a new typeface designed by Marcus Behmer and styled on the Prague Hagadah of Gershom Kohen. The intended completion of the entire Bible was aborted due to the rise of Nazism. According to A.J. Karp, the verse in Deuteronomy 33:29, “Your enemies shall dwindle away before you, and you shall tread upon their high places,” was printed in red, an anomaly, in silent but eloquent protest against the rise of Nazism.
See A.J. Karp, Library of Congress Catalogue pp. 31-34 (illustrated); L. Avrin, The Art of the Hebrew Book in the Twentieth Century, in: New York Public Library Catalogue, A Sign and a Witness (1988) p.135 (illustrated)