Hebrew).

AUCTION 61 | Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 1:00

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

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Lot 54

(BIBLE.

Hebrew).

Edited by Jacob b. Chaim of Tunis. With Targum Onkeles and commentary by Rashi, ibn Ezra, Kimchi, Targum, etc. Complete in four volumes. Each with title within architectural arch, initial letters within elaborate woodcut border. Divisional half-titles. <<A Wide margined copy.>> Vol. I: ff. 234. * Vol. II: ff. 209. Dampstained, two leaves soiled. * Vol. III: ff. 211. Many leaves neatly remargined. * Vol. IV: 297. Stained in places, lower margin of penultimate leaf remargined, final leaf laid down. Modern vellum. Folio. Vinograd, Venice 99; Habermann, Bomberg 93; Darlow & Moule 5085.

Venice: Daniel Bomberg 1524-5

Est: $40,000 - $50,000

PRICE REALIZED $35,000

<<The Second Mikra’oth Gedoloth (Biblia Rabbinica) Printed.>> The first Rabbinic Bible to present the Massorah. The text of this edition became the standard Massoretic text for all subsequent editions. See D. S. Berkowitz, In Remembrance of Creation (1968) no. 166. The first Biblia Rabbinica printed by Bomberg in 1516-7, was edited by the apostate Jew Felix Pratensis and contained the Imprimatur of the Pope. Bomberg soon realized that these two facts marginalized the Great Bible from the Jewish market. He therefore employed Jacob b. Chaim ibn Adonijah, newly arrived in Venice (after being driven out of Spain and then Tunis), as editor of this second Biblia Rabbinica. A meticulous, and most knowledgeable Jewish scholarly editor, Joseph b. Chaim went to great pains to secure as many codices with a Massorah as possible. Thus for the first time, was issued a printed Hebrew Bible with a marginal Massorah, which, as hoped by Bomberg, was received with acclaim by the Jewish market. <<Thus, this bible may be said to be the very first jewish rabbinic bible.>>