HOROWITZ, CHAIM BEN DOV BER HALEVI. Sepher Chivath Yerushalayim [descriptions of the holy sites of Eretz Israel]

(LAND OF ISRAEL)

Israel Bak

Jerusalem

1844

FIRST EDITION. Woodcut printer’s device on title (Yaari, Printer’s Marks, no. 201)

Vinograd, Jerusalem 29; Halevi 23

Hibath Jerusalem is a Jewish traveler’s guide to the Holy Land.This is one of the first Hebrew books published in Jerusalem (the earliest being 1841), printed by Israel Bak on the new press sent to him from London by Sir Moses Montefiore. (See a photo of the press in Halevy’s foreword, p. 23.) The great philanthropist hoped to benefit thereby his brethren in the Holy Land, thinking that the printing industry would be a financial boon to the inhabitants of Eretz Israel. (Seeing the staggering amount of printing that goes on in Israel today, it would seem Sir Moses’ good wishes have borne fruit.) The author does not restrict himself to the present state of the sites he discusses but scours the entire corpus of rabbinic literature, as well as earlier reports by Jewish travelers, and provides rich historic background. Haskamoth (encomia) of the Rishon le-Zion, R. Hayyim Abraham Gagin, and of R. Jacob Anteby of Damascus. The book was edited by the author’s relative, Mordecai Segal Horowitz, recently arrived in Jerusalem in 1839.