Hebrew Proverbs, Mishlei). With commentary by Immanuel ben Solomon of Rome. Edited by Chaim bar Isaac Halevi Aschkenazi (see colophon).

(BIBLE,

Joseph ben Jacob Aschkenazi Gunzenhauser

(Naples

1487)

FIRST EDITION OF COMMENTARY. Text of Proverbs in square Hebrew type with nikud (vocalization). A peculiarity of this edition is that a line occurs over the “soft” consonants veith, khaph, and thav. From the fact that the other three “raphah” (soft) consonants, gimmel, dhaleth, and phei, have not received such treatment, one might deduce that the Italian Jewish community no longer differentiated between the “hard” (degushah) and “soft” (raphah) sounds of those letters.

Vinograd, Naples 3; Goff 34; Offenberg 43; Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. no. 1066; Thes. A58; Wineman Cat. 32.

The commentary was composed by the celebrated poet who authored the Machbaroth. In his commentary to Proverbs, Immanuel displays strong interest in astronomy and navigation. As an example, see f. 61v. (commentary to Proverbs 25:3) and f. 80r. (commentary to Proverbs 30:19). In the latter passage, Immanuel explains the words of the Amorite Rabbi Joshua ben Levi to Rabban Gamliel in Tractate Horayoth (f.10a):”There is a star that rises once in seventy years which confounds navigators.” Immanuel explicates this Talmudic passage in an astronomical vein - with reference to the North and South Stars. Within five years, this data would be revolutionized by Columbus’s discovery of America.