Galuth Yehudah [Italian dictionary of difficult words in the Bible, Hagadah of Passover and Pirkei Avoth]

MODENA, JUDAH ARYEH (LEONE) DA

Giacomo Sarzina

Venice

1612

FIRST EDITION. With Hebrew and Italian poetry by the author’s son, Mordechai (Marc Antonio). Title in Hebrew and Italian. Text in Italian interspersed with Hebrew. Initials historiated

Vinograd, Venice 1069; St. Cat. Bodl. 5745, 13 (ed. rarissimam)

Unlike typical dictionaries which are in alphabetical order, Galuth Yehudah follows the order of the Bible. In their Haskamah to this work, the rabbis of Venice - Leib Saraval, Isaac Gershon, Solomon Shemaiah Sforno, Moses Cohen Port, et al - describe the hardships involved in producing this unique bilingual work. “After the demise of Juan di Gara there was no press available until today. Therefore the printer had to recreate original fonts and make preparations to match the Italian with the Hebrew.”