Der Gantz Jüdische Glaub [The Entire Jewish Faith]

MARGARITHA, ANTON

Heinrich Steyner

Augsburg

1530

FIRST EDITION. Woodcut vignette on title with five further woodcut illustrations by Jan de Breu. Initial letters within historiated woodcut vignettes by Hans Holbein. Sporadic use of Hebrew

Freimann, p.148; Rosenberger Catalogue, Judaica (HUC, 1971), p. 385, fig.107; Carlebach, Divided Souls, p. 298; not in Adams

A RARE FIRST EDITION OF THIS CLASSIC WORK OF ANTISEMITISM. Two additional anti-Jewish woodcuts appear only in this edition and were suppresed in later editions. An apostate (his name a corruption of the family surname Margoliouth), the author was born c.1490 and converted to Catholicism in 1522, later becoming a Protestant. This libellous tract had a great influence upon Martin Luther who quoted it often in his own writings. Margaritha ridicules Jewish religious faith and practice, and argues against their Messianic beliefs. He accuses the Jews of lacking charity, of harboring sentiments hostile to Christians, and finally, of treason. Augsburg printers had a history of producing at their presses anti-Jewish works, starting with the 1509 publication of Pfefferkorn's work. See E. Carlebach, Divided Souls (2001), pp. 179-182