b'147 (LADINO). [The Book of Esther with Ladino translation]. Title in large bold letters with three orets. Hebrew text and Judeo-Espaol translation face `a face, both printed in square letters. Hebrew provided with both vowel points and cantillation, Judeo-Espaol with vowel points. ff. 10 (of 12). Apparently lacking a leaf after f.4 and nal leaf. Expertly remargined, text slightly affected. Modern calf. 8vo. [Unrecorded] Constantinople or Salonika (?), Yaabetz (?), 16th Century (?). $5000 - $7000OSTENSIBLY A UNICUM OF AN EARLY LADINO TRANSLATION OF THE SCROLL OF ESTHER. Though difcult to make a conclusive determination, several factors go to determine that our diminutive Book of Esther is either a Salonika or Constantinople imprint.Both the orets and the typography were those employed by the House of Yaabetz. (For orets, see facsimiles in Yaari Constantinople, pp. 125 and 135; for typography, see facs. on p.125).The printing establishment of Joseph Yaabetz (joined at times by his brother Solomon Yaabetz) functioned in Salonika and later Constantinople between the years 1546-1593 (with a brief interlude in Adrianople in the years 1554-1555). (See Yaari, Const., p. 26; J. Hacker, Aresheth V [1972], p. 470.) The typography is identical to that of the Machzor Romania produced by Joseph Yaabetz between the years 1575-1578 (Yaari, Const. 188, facs. on p.125). (By a similar process of comparing typography, Prof. Hacker was able to ascertain that the Ladino translation of Bachyas Chovoth HaLevavoth was done by Joseph Yaavetz in Salonika. See J. Hacker, op. cit., p.488, no.174).Assuming this is correct, this makes our volume here one of the earliest Ladino (or Judeo-Espaol) translations of the Bible, and perhaps the earliest extant Ladino translation of Esther. (Yaari records no Esther earlier than 1808. See Yaari, Ladino [1934], p.3, no. 13).The earliest dated Ladino translation of the Bible known to bibliographers isthetrilingualHebrew-Greek-LadinoPentateuchproducedby Soncino in Constantinople in 1547 (Vinograd, Const. 191; Yaari Const. 144;DarlowandMoule1418and 5092). (The title explains that those twolanguageswerethevernacular oftheJewsofConstantinople theearlierRomaniotecommunity being Greek-speaking and the newer Sephardic community being Spanish-speaking.) Though the title advertises Chamesh Megilloth (Five Scrolls) as wellthe reality is otherwise. (See J. Hacker, op. cit., p.471, n.102; pp.482-3, no.144.) Between the years 1569-1572, additional books of the Prophets and Writings in Ladino translation were printed in Salonika in the House of Yaabetz. In 1585, there appeared in Salonika yet another addition of Trei Asar (Minor Prophets), this the work of David ben Abraham Azobib (Vinograd, Salonica 115.) (See I. Rivkind, Kiryath Sepher I [1924], pp. 295; and KS, XIV [1937-38], p. 109).Isaac Rivkind described a comparable Psalter with Ladino translation, located in the Library of JTSA. Much smaller in size (16mo), it too was printed in square Hebrew characters provided with vowel pointsHebrew in the right column and Ladino in the left column facing, as in our edition. Yaari has dated it as early as 1540. (See I. Rivkind, Kiryath Sepher, XIV [1937-38], p. 110; Yaari Const. 130A; Vinograd, Const. 170).Evidently, our work consisted originally of three printers signatures of four leaves each. Where the rst signature is complete, lacking here is the rst leaf of the second signature, as well as the nal leaf of the third signature.73'