Sepher Machberoth Immanuel [poetry]

AUCTION 54 | Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts Autograph Letters, Graphic & Ceremonial Art

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Lot 151

IMMANUEL BEN SOLOMON OF ROME.

Sepher Machberoth Immanuel [poetry]

Second Edition. ff. (156). Browned and stained in places, first two leaves repaired affecting some words, marginal repair on some leaves not affecting text, f. 4 of gathering 38 is reversed, ex-library. Modern tooled calf. Sm. 4to. Vinograd, Const. 153; Yaari, Const. 119.

Constantinople: Eliezer ben Gershom Soncino 1535

Est: $2,000 - $2,500

Immanuel of Rome (c. 1261-1368), known in Italian as Manoello Giudeo, modeled his literary work on the classic Sephardic poets - Solomon ibn Gabirol, Judah Halevi and Judah Al-Harizi. His famous vision of Heaven and Hell, influenced by Dante’s work is contained in the final section. Because of certain lewd sections, R. Joseph Karo forbade its reading and consequently, the subsequent edition was not published for another two centuries. According to Cecil Roth, Immanuel of Rome was “the most remarkable and the most important figure of the Renaissance period in the Jewish world.” See C. Roth, The Jews in the Renaissance (1959) pp. 89-10.