Sha’ar ha-Shamayim [“The Gate of Heaven”: encyclopedic work on natural science, mathematics and astronomy]

Estimate: $1,000–$1,500
Hammer price: $800

Historical auction record. Hammer prices exclude buyer’s premium and taxes.

author

GERSHON BEN SOLOMON OF ARLES

printer

Meir Parenzo

Place

Venice

Publication

1547

Description

First Edition. Printer’s device on title (Yaari, Printers’ Marks, no. 14)

references

Vinograd, Venice 329; Adams G-500; Heller, The Sixteenth Century Hebrew Boook, Vol. I, pp. 338-39

summary

Little is known of the 13th-century author, Gershon ben Solomon of Arles, Provence. His Sha’ar ha-Shamayim, reflects the unique synthesis of Jewish and secular learning for which Provence was famous. Through the Hebrew translations of Samuel ibn Tibbon and other gifted Provencal scholars, the Jews of Provence had at their disposal the extensive corpus of Aristotelian and Arabic learning. See M. Waxman, History of Jewish Literature, Vol. II, pp. 317-8

ff. 64. Title incised, no loss of text. Former owners’ signatures. Light stains throughout, margins of final few leaves frayed. Contemporary vellum, rebacked, rubbed, later silk ties. Sm.4to

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