Mikneh Avram (Sepher Dikduk)

Distinguished in many fields, de Balmes was an ordained rabbi, a translator of scientific and philosophical works from Hebrew into Latin, as well as a lecturer at the University of Padua, where he attained renown as an Aristotelian. He also served as physician to Cardinal Grimani of Venice. Greatly valued by contemporary Christian Hebraists, de Balmes prepared this grammatical study at the urging of the printer Bomberg, with whom a deep friendship was shared. Mikneh Avram appeared in two issues, with and without a Latin translation, i.e., one for the Jewish market, and the bilingual issue more suited to the needs of Christians. The Hebrew version has a different title-page than the bilingual edition and the introduction is printed in Rashi letters, whereas the introduction in the bilingual version is printed in square Hebrew letters. The present “Jewish” version is far more scarce, as the Christian-owned editions were unlikely to have been desecrated over the centuries. See D. Amram, The Makers of Hebrew Books in Italy (1963) pp. 169-72.