Sepher HaZohar

AUCTION 44 | Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Graphic & Ceremonial Art

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Lot 233
SHIMON B”R YOCHAI

Sepher HaZohar

Three parts in one volume. Title within woodcut architectural arch. Opening word of each part within ornamental woodcut letters within a typographical border. Occasional marginalia ff. 132; 122; 146. Mispaginated as in all copies, but complete (in addition to pages, columns are also numbered in this edition). Previous owners' signatures on title, first leaf and verso of final leaf. Including: R. Asher Lemil Ha-Levi of Glogau (1705- 89, author of Chut HaMeshulash BeShearim), Yissachar Ber of (?), Abraham ben Mordechai and others. Browned and stained, corners rounded, several leaves remargined, various paper repairs with some loss in places. Modern tooled morocco. Folio Vinograd, Lublin 147; Mehlman 1069

Lublin: Tzvi ben Abraham Kalonymus Jaffe 1623

Est: $7,000 - $9,000
PRICE REALIZED $8,000
EXREMELY RARE EDITION. BOTH JNUL AND MEHLMAN COPIES ARE INCOMPLETE. The present edition of the Zohar, the most classic of Jewish mystical texts, is the second printed in the format of the Zohar Gadol (as per the Cremona edition) - the format favored by the Polish and German Kabbalists until the beginning of the 18th-century. However, the editor, Nathan ben Yitzchak Shapiro states in the introduction that he compared and noted the differences of the texts of both previous editions (Cremona and Mantua), citing "Nusach Acher" or "Sepharim Acheirim." See also Scholem’s extensive article in EJ Vol. XVI, col.1194-1212