Der Gantz Jüdische Glaub

MARGARITHA, ANTON

Heinrich Steiner

Augsburg

1530

FIRST EDITION. Woodcut vignette on title with five further woodcut illustrations. Title woodcut by Jan de Breu. Initial letters within historiated woodcut vignettes by Hans Holbein. Sporadic use of Hebrew

Freimann, p.148; Rosenberger Catalogue, Judaica (HUC, 1971) p.385 fig.107; not in Adams

A RARE FIRST EDITION OF THIS CLASSIC WORK OF ANTI-SEMITICA. Two additional anti-Jewish woodcuts appear only in this edition only and were suppresed in later editions. An apostate and anti-Jewish writer (his name is a corruption of the Family surname Margoliouth), the author was born c.1490 and converted to Catholicism in 1522, later becaming a Protestant. This libellous tract had a great influence upon Martin Luther who quoted it often in his own writings. Margaritha ridicules Jewish religious faith and practice and argues against their Messianic beliefs, he accuses the Jews of lacking charity, piety, of sentiments hostile to Christians and finally, of treason