Hebrew. WRITINGS). Comprising: Psalms with commentary of David Kimchi. Job, Five Scrolls, Daniel & Ezra/Nechemaih (lacking Chronicles). With classic commentaries.

(BIBLE.

Joseph Aschkenazi Gunzenhauser

(Naples

1487)

Text in square script with Nikud. Commentary in rabbinic script without Nikud. Initial words of Job and Song of Songs within white-vine woodcut border.

Vinograd, Naples 2&4; Mehlman 23&24; Offenberg 36&46; Goff Heb-26&29; Freimann-Marx, Thesaurus A-57&59; Goldstein 51

FIRST EDITION OF WRITINGS IN HEBREW. SECOND EDITION OF KIMCHI’S COMMENTARY TO PSALMS. The bibliographies record Psalms as appearing after the other works of the Hagiographia in this volume. Moses Marx notes the source of this confusion; “According to the colophon, Psalms were completed on 4th Nissan (1487), and the last book of the Hagiographia on 9th Tishri of the same year - six months earlier! Cassuto, claims that the date of the last volume is based upon an error; on the ninth day of the new year, the printer, from force of habit, still utilized the date of the previous year. His prayer in the colophon of the Psalms asking that he be permitted to carry out his intention of completing the Hagiographia, is conclusive evidence that this volume appeared first.” See: M. Marx, Hebrew Books Printed in Fifteenth Century in HUC Library, in Studies in Bibliography and Booklore (June, 1953), pp. 21-47, note below no.17. Regarding the order of Hagiographia; the Naples Hebrew printers did not follow the order of the Canon. Here, the order is Job, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nechamiah and Chronicles. “That this was the order which the printers in Naples followed is apparent from the fact that the first word of the Book of Job is in large letters enclosed in an ornamental woodcut border, indicating the opening of the book, as the decorative woodcut border, enclosing the first verse of the Song of Songs in large letters, in all likelihood represents the beginning of the Five Scrolls.” See J. Bloch, Hebrew Printing in Naples, in Hebrew Printing and Bibliography: Studies by Joshua Bloch (1976), pp.111-138 at p.126.