Seder Chamesh Ta’aniyoth [prayers for the five fast days]. Edited by Joshua Sarphati. (Third part of: Seder Tephiloth ke-Minhag Sepharad [prayers for the entire year according to Sephardic rite])

(LITURGY)

Joseph Athias

Amsterdam

1659

Title within woodcut architectural columns

Vinograd, Amsterdam 252; Fuks, Amsterdam 376; Steinschneider 2154

The first Hebrew book printed by Joseph Athias. Aged 23 years when his press began operation, it is unclear whether Joseph Athias learned the printer’s craft prior to settling in Amsterdam. Although no mention is made in the book itself, it is clear from other books produced by Athias in 1659, that Gimpel Mordechai, son of the printer Judah Leib of Posen was one of Athias’ first assistants and no doubt brought the skills he had leaned at his father’s house to Athias. Joseph Athias utilized an innovative printing technique, the “stereotype method,” whereby each sheet was composed and fixed in iron frames, thus allowing for a larger print run in a relatively short time. See L. Fuks, Hebrew Typography in the Northern Netherlands 1585-1815, Part II (1987), pp. 286-307; A. M. Habermann, Perakim be-Toldoth ha-Madpisim ha-’Ivri’im (1978), pp. 293-310