Talmud Bavli. With commentary of Rashi, Tosaphoth, Piskei Tosaphoth, compendium by Asher b. Jehiel, commentary on the Mishnah by Moses Maimonides, plus index of decisions “Ein Mishpat.”

(TALMUD, BABYLONIAN).

Immanuel Benveniste

Amsterdam

1644-47

Twelve volumes, ENTIRELY COMPLETE. Title letters within decorative woodcut vignettes. Printers device on title (Yaari no. 60).

Vinograd, Amsterdam 87-101, 103-5, 108, 113, 117-135 and 137; M.J. Heller, The Seventeenth Century Hebrew Book (2011) pp. 592-3.

THE FIRST PRINTING OF THE TALMUD IN AMSTERDAM. Immanuel Benveniste’s ESTEEMED, UNCENSORED EDITION, HERE IN A MAJESTIC UNIFORM CONTEMPORARY BINDING. Benveniste’s Talmud follows the Basle edition in layout and text, and likewise has no general title-page for the entire work. Benveniste did not print his Talmud in chronological order, but produced most tractates as individual books with separate title page and foliation so that they could be sold individually - hence a uniform and complete set is uncommon. Due to progressive notions of freedom of speech, there was little censorship of books in the Dutch Republic, thus Benveniste’s Talmud contains Tractate Avodah Zara in its entirety with all references to Christianity about which censors in other European centers of Hebrew printing strongly objected.