Masechta Shabbath.

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

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

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Lot 229

(TALMUD, BABYLONIAN).

Masechta Shabbath.

With commentaries by Rashi, Tosfoth and Rosh. Printer’s device on title. ff. 160, 28. Browned, stained and closely shaved, previous owners’ marks, small tear on ff. 67, 70, 78 affecting some text. Modern calf. Folio. Vinograd, Basle 175.

Basle: J. Froben 1581

Est: $1,000 - $1,500

PRICE REALIZED $1,500

According to Vinograd the JNUL only has a facsimile copy of this particular Basle Tractate. Following the wanton destruction in Italy of vast numbers of Hebrew texts - especially Talmud volumes, the Basle humanist-printer Johannes Froben was moved to issue a new edition of the Talmud to compensate for the losses experienced by the learned Jews of Italy. And yet the censor Marco Marino Brixiense and his apostate assistants diligently sought to remove any passages deemed offensive to the Church. Consequently, the potentially scandalizing Tractate Avoda Zara was never issued from the press of Froben. See R. N. N. Rabinowitz, Ma’amar al Hadpassat HaTalmud pp. 74-79; M. J. Heller, Printing the Talmud, (1992) pp. 241-65.