Chizkuni [commentary to the Chumash].

Chezekiah ben Manoach.

Vicenzo Conti

Cremona

1559

FIRST SEPARATE EDITION. Title letters as well as initial Chapter words historiated. On f. 79r diagram of the twelve stones in the Kohen Gadol’s breast-plate. A rare complete copy (see below).

Vinograd, Cremona 26.

Chizkiah ben Manoach lived in the thirteenth century, probably in France. The details of his biography are unknown. He is the author of Chizkuni, a popular commentary on the Torah, which is actually a compilation of insights culled from the Midrashim, as well as the writings of twenty Rishonim, including Rashi, Rashbam and Ibn Ezra. However, Chizkuni does not name any of his sources (other than Rashi), as he felt that one should focus on the message rather than the messenger (Sefaria). Although the Chizkuni was included in Bomberg's 1524 edition of the Pentateuch, this Cremona issue is the first separate edition. See EJ, Vol. VIII, cols. 459-60 (illustrated). Meir Benayahu writes that most copies of the Chizkuni are lacking ff. 155-156, which were removed by Church censorship (see his Hebrew Printing at Cremona (1971) p. 211), fortunately,this copy is entirely complete.