Hebrew). The Sixth Biblia Rabbinica. With Targum and major classical commentaries. Revised by Johannes Buxtorf

(BIBLE.

Ludwig König

Basle

1618-1619

Complete in two volumes. Divisional titles within architectural arches. The Latin addendum (dated 1665) to Vol. I contains Buxtorf’s commentary to the Tiberian Masorah of the Bible

Vinograd, Basle 248; Prijs, Basle 219 and 272A; Darlow & Moule 5120

MAGNIFICENT COPY OF THE MOST SCHOLARLY EDITION OF THE RABBINIC BIBLES. The publisher was fortunate in obtaining the services of experienced Jewish and Gentile scholars, printers and correctors who helped make Kxnig’s endeavor one of the most grammatically correct editions in accordance with the Masorah, as well as a more esthetically pleasing Bible edition - with a slightly different layout than the previous Venetian editions. Abraham Braunschweig, the scholarly Jewish editor/printer had previously printed Bibles in Hanau before moving to Basel in 1617 to work exclusively for König in conjunction with Buxtorf. Braunschweig writes (f.696a) in a fine Rabbinic Hebrew, interspersed with halachic references (e.g. Maalin Ba-kodeh ve-ein moridin), about the improvements and additions wrought in this edition (and which were omitted from the second and third Venice editions). Johannes Buxtorf, who held the chair of Bible and Hebrew studies at the University of Basle, viewed the Masoretic text as the most reliable version of the Bible. In addition to his Latin commentary, Buxtorf wrote a fine introduction in Hebrew (Shaar Ha-neginoth, f. 66b at end of vol. I), concerning the accentuation (“trop”) of the Bible. Braunschweig and and the type-setter Eliahu ben Yehudah of Hanau composed a full page poem with the acrostic of their names on f. 67b (towards the end of vol. I, before the Latin commentary). The poem praises the scholarship of Buxtorf and the efforts of the other Jewish printshop workers listing them by name