Koheleth Ya’akov [Kabbalistic homilies to the Book of Ecclesiastes, with text]

GALANTE, MOSES BEN MORDECHAI.

Eliezer Aschkenazi

Safed

1578

FIRST EDITION. Title within ornamental cartouche

Vinograd, Safed 2; Mehlman 643; not in Adams

The second of only six Hebrew books printed in Safed before printing ceased, not to be resumed for some 250 years. All six of these volumes were printed by Aschkenazi over a course of ten years. See A.J. Karp. From the Ends of the Earth: Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress (1991) p.17-8. The printers apparantly employed the type-face and ornaments utilized by Eliezer b. Isaac of Lublin earlier in the decade, (See Lot 24). The Italian born author migrated to the Holy Land to become a disciple of Joseph Karo and Joseph Cordovero. In 1580 he was appointed President of the Beth Din of Safed. Another copy of this work was sold by Kestenbaum & Company, 23rd June 1998, lot 100