11 21 (BIBLE, Hebrew. Five Scrolls, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah). Chamesh Megiloth [Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Ruth, Lamentations]. * AND: Daniel, Ezra, Nechemiah. With commentary of Rashi (except Lamentations which has the commentary of Joseph ben Simeon Kara). Biblical text in square type with Nikud. Commentary in rabbinic type without Nikud. Initial word panel within decorative white vine metalcut border. Wider margins. ff. 62. Few leaves provided from another copy, final leaf with loss to outer margin with loss of few words provided in facsimile, previous owner’s marks including pencil foliations and censor’s annotations, trace stained, expert marginal paper repairs. Bound in Valmadonna-custom maroon blind-tooled crushed morocco, spine in compartments and titled in gilt. Sm. folio. Housed in fitted slip-case. [Vinograd, Naples 2; Goff Heb-26; Thes. A-59; Offenberg 46; BMC XIII, p. 51; Iakerson 46.] Naples, [Joseph ben Jacob Aschkenazi Gunzenhauser], 1487. $12,000 - $18,000 ❧ FIRST EDITION OF KETHUVIM IN HEBREW. These eight Biblical Books form the heart of the final section of the Hebrew Bible (Hagiographa). See Treasures of the Valmadonna Trust Library - Otzroth Ya’akov, Incunables no. 32. One of the peculiarities of this incunable edition of the Five Megiloth is the fact that the commentaries are not identified. While the commentary of Rashi was chosen to grace the Books of Ecclesiastes, Esther, Ruth and Song of Songs, that of R. Joseph Kara was chosen for Lamentations. Gerson Cohen speculates that this was the first edition of the Five Megiloth to contain these commentaries. See G.Cohen, Hebrew Incunabula…Yeshiva University (1984) p.109, no.40. According to Joshua Bloch: “Very few copies of the Naples Hagiographa were known in the 18th-century. In fact, when in 1735 Dr. Theo. Pellet presented a copy of the Naples Kethuvim to the Library of Eton College, he described it as unique” (see Hebrew Printing and Bibliography, in: Studies by Joshua Bloch (1976) p.124, n. 32).”