Chaim Vital. Chok LeYisrael [portions of Zohar, Bible, etc. divided for daily study]. Vayira, Bamidbar, Devarim (only)

(CAIRO)

The Orphan Abraham ben Moses

Egypt (Cairo)

1740

FIRST EDITION. Title pages within typographical borders. Each page within ruled border and printed in two columns. Scriptural texts pointed, Talmudic texts unpointed and Kabbalistic texts in rabbinic type

Vinograd, Cairo 3; Ya’ari, Cairo 3

Among the Earliest Books Printed in Egypt. The only book printed there in the 18th century. Except for a short-lived Hebrew printing press in Fez in 1516, this appears to be one of the earliest books printed in all of Africa. Only four Hebrew books were printed in Egypt. This work was thought to be the first, until fragments of two earlier imprints were discovered in the Cairo Genizah of which only one copy of each is known. According to Yaari, following this Chok LeYisrael, a subsequent Hebrew book was not printed in Cairo until 1905