Pascalogia overo Discorso della Pasca.

NIETO, DAVID.

n.p.

Cologne

1702

RARE FIRST EDITION OF DAVID NIETO’S WORK ON THE CALENDAR. Venetian born David Nieto (1654-1728) served as Haham of the Spanish and Portugese Jews in London from 1702 until his death. In addition he was a mathematician and practicing physician. His works demonstrate a rare synthesis of rabbinic and secular learning. Pascalogia, divided into five dialogues between two characters named Pascalogo and Filomate, is a study of the Hebrew calendar and the discrepancies between the Latin and Greek Churches concerning the time to celebrate Easter in relation to that of Passover. This dialogical form was employed by Nieto in his other works as well: Mateh Dan or Kuzari Sheni (Nieto’s famous defense of Rabbinic tradition), and Esh Dat (his anti-Sabbatian polemic). See EJ, Vol. XII cols. 1152-53. WorldCat lists only four copies of this edition worldwide: British Library, Cambridge, New York Public Library and Paris. (Bib. Sainte Genvi.