Castillo, Martin Del. Arte Hebraispano. Dikduk Lashon Hakodesh Belshon Sepharadith. Grammatica de la Lengua Santa.

(AMERICAN JUDAICA).

Florian Anisson

Lyons

1676

FIRST EDITION. Text in Hebrew and Spanish. Hebrew words are pointed and followed by Spanish transliterations. Woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces.

Palau 481466.

First edition of the first Hebrew grammar printed for the New World. No doubt a Marrano, Martin del Castillo was born in Burgos and studied Hebrew under the converso Rabbi Moyses (D. Francisco del Hoyo) while guardian of the Franciscan convent in Mexico City. Although approved in 1656, the work was not printed until twenty years later due to the lack of printing facilities in Mexico that could accommodate a work with Hebrew type; thus Castillo had the book produced in Europe. The author remarks, “The distance between Mexico in the New World, and Lyons in the Old World, should excuse any writer from blame in that several misprints have occurred.” “The book is so rare that the author’s name… is given in Kayserling’s bibliography as Martyr del Castillo with a remark that it is the pseudonym of a Spanish Jew. Neither he nor Steinschneider gave the title of the book correctly.” See Alexander Marx, (ed. M. Schmelzer), Bibliographical Studies and Notes on Rare Books and Manuscripts in the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. (1977) p. 171.