CORCOS, HEZEKIAH MANOAH CHAIM (Tranquillo Vita) THE YOUNGER. Teshu’oth Yisrael [three treatises on the blood liabel in Viterbo]. Translated into Judeo-German from the Italian by CHAIM ALSHEICH

(ITALIAN JUDAICA)

Chaim ben Tzvi Hirsch of Fürth

Rome (i.e. Fürth)

1706 (i.e. 1740)

FIRST EDITION. Text in Judeo-German. Three parts in one. Divisional titles

Vinograd, Fürth 159 & 39a; Freidberg, Tav 2137

Hezekiah Manoach Corcos was a member of the Rome branch of the Corcos family of Spanish exiles. He was appointed rabbi and secretary of the Roman Jewish community in 1702 and devoted much energy to communal affairs. In 1697 he appeared before the Congregation of the Holy Office to refute the anti-Jewish calumnies spread by the apostate Paolo Sebastiano Medici. Great excitement was caused in Italy in 1705-6 by the arrest of five Jews including one Giuseppe Ebreo, in the town of Viterbo on a blood accusation, such charges having never before been preferred in Rome or its vicinity. Corcos came forward with his pamphlet; "Memoriale" (Rome, 1705), addressed to Monsignore Ghezzi Ponente, the papal reporter on Jewish affairs, wherein he demonstrated the insubstantiality of the accusation. In addition to this, he wrote a "Summarium," (Rome, 1706) in which he produced documents relating to the blood accusation, from secular and ecclesiastical authorities; and also a "Memoriale Addizionale," in which he presented additional material concerning the historical treatment of this subject. Indeed, his testimonial pleas were successful in securing the withdrawal of the blood libel in Viterbo. (See EJ V, col. 963 and C. Roth, The History of the Jews of Italy (1946) p. 388-9). There is some conflict among the bibiliographers regarding the date of printing of Chaim Alsheich’s Judeo-German translation. Vinograd, who did not see a complete copy dates the printing to1740. Friedberg suggestes a printing date of 1743. In all probabliity, the book was a work in progress for a number of years, as Vinograd suggests, 1742-5. The Italian version was sold by Kestenbaum & Company, Important Hebrew Printed Books & Manuscripts. Tuesday, June 25th, 2002, Lot 147