Auction 12 · Lot 166

Siddur HaTephiloth Keminhag Hakara’im [prayers for the entire year]. According to Karaite rite.

Estimate: $15,000–$20,000
Hammer price: $21,000

Historical auction record. Hammer prices exclude buyer’s premium and taxes.

author

(KARAITICA)

printer

Daniel Bomberg

Place

Venice

Publication

1528

Description

FIRST EDITION. Five parts bound in two volumes.

references

Vinograd, Venice 135; Mehlman 1838 incomplete; Haberman, Bomberg 145; JNUL copy incomplete; not in Adams

summary

A Sixteenth Century Machzor of Remarkable Rarity. Only one complete copy extant, found in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Karaism had its beginings in the Eighth century breaking with Rabbinic tradition by rejecting the Talmud and declaring Biblical law as the sole basis of Judaism. Karaite liturgy has little similarity with its Rabbinic counterpart. There are two daily prayer services; in the morning and evening. On Sabbath and festivals, the Musaf prayer is added. Originally, prayers refering to the Temple sacrifices formed the main basis of the Karaite rite. Prayers consist mainly of passages from the Bible, with an emphasis on Psalms along with liturgical poetry unknown to Rabbinic rites. The Shema prayer is included in the Karaite rite, but the Shemonah-Esrah is not known. See: EJ, X cols.780-1.

Part I: ff.89 (of 110, lacking ff. 1-9,11-5, 44-8, 62-3); ff.60. Small hole on ff. 50-1 affecting a few words. Some worming, lacking upper portion of ff. 54 and 61, f.63 portions of text, supplied in manuscript. Part II: ff. 165. Lacking upper portion of f.133. Part III: ff.51(of 56 lacking 52-56). Part IV: ff. 64-213; lacking ff. 57-63. Part V: ff.49, (6), 50-105, 105-133, 133-224. Some browning, scattered marginalia, few leaves remargined. Old leather, very distressed. 4to

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