Hebrew and Italian). Arba’ah Ve’esrim.

(BIBLE,

Bragadin for Isaac Foa

Venice

1739-41

Opening titles in red and black within architectural arch, three additional divisional title-pages. Four spectacular engraved plates by Francesco Griselini the first (frontispiece) depicting the Sacrifice of Isaac with eleven vignettes portraying the narrative is particularly elaborate. The three other plates are prior to the Former Prophets, Latter Prophets, and to the Hagiographa and depict Joshua and Samuel crowning King David; Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah; and King David reciting the Psalms. Introductory Luach HaMitzvoth and Kelalei HaDikduk by Simha Calimani. With glosses in Italian throughout translating and explaining challenging passages. Manuscript on vellum recording the cantillation (trop) stitched onto final blank.

Vinograd, Venice 1757; Braginsky Collection, cat. no. 150.

A beautiful Bible edition, finely bound. Francesco Griselini (1717–87) was born into a family of Venetian silk-weavers and grew to be a scholar of natural history of considerable repute. He was also a talented artist; indeed Dr. Mendel Metzger in “The Earliest Engraved Italian Megilloth,” comments extensively on Griselini’s excellence as an engraver of Jewish works of art which included the design of title-pages of Hebrew printed books as well as engraved Esther Scrolls. See also L. Greenspoon, The Book of Esther in Modern Research (2003) p. 147.