Masechta Avodah Zarah [Idolatry]. With commentaries by Rashi, Tosafoth, etc.

AUCTION 64 | Thursday, March 19th, 2015 at 1:00

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

Back to Catalogue Download Catalogue

<Previous Lot

/352

Next Lot>

Lot 180

(TALMUD, BABYLONIAN).

Masechta Avodah Zarah [Idolatry]. With commentaries by Rashi, Tosafoth, etc.

Scholarly marginalia in an early hand on f. 62b. ff. 95 (of 96), lacking f. 67. Variously worn and stained, occasional worming, previous owners’ marks. Title laid down with loss not affecting text, f.2 with small marginal loss affecting a few letters, f. 20 with more significant loss. Old calf, worn. Sm. Folio. Vinograd, Salonika 70 (JNUL copy incomplete); Rabinowitz, Talmud pp. 67-70; I. Mehlman, Gnuzoth Sepharim p.7.

Salonika: Joseph Ya’avetz 1567

Est: $5,000 - $7,000

PRICE REALIZED $4,000

A scarce copy. Following the shocking Papal order of the Burning of the Talmud in Italy, the Salonika-based printer Joseph Ya’avetz was motivated to print eight of the more frequently studied Tractates to compensate for the tremendous loss. The first three of the eight were all printed in a smaller size and not corresponding to the standardized Bomberg format of the page. Upon printing the fourth Tractate, Ya’avetz came to appreciate the value of a standard pagination for students of the Talmud and therefore arranged the format according to the order of the Venetian editions. See M. J. Heller, Printing the Talmud (1992) Vol. I, pp. 277-83.