Mikraot Gedolot – Venice, 1546-1548 – Printed by Daniel Bomberg – Fine Two-Volume Set

Mikraot Gedolot – Venice, 1546-1548 – Printed by Daniel Bomberg – Fine Two-Volume Set

Mikraot Gedolot, Five Books of the Torah, Neviim Rishonim, Neviim Acharonim and Ketuvim, with Targum Onkelos and commentaries of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Radak, Targum Yonatan, and more. Venice: Daniel Bomberg by Cornelio Adelkind, 1546-1548. Fine two-volume set, mostly printed on high-quality paper with fine margins.

General title page at beginning of first volume, and divisional title pages for Neviim Rishonim, Neviim Acharonim and Ketuvim.

The present volumes are a fine, complete copy of the third and final Mikraot Gedolot edition printed by Daniel Bomberg, and the second edition of the expanded Mikraot Gedolot containing the text of the Masorah, edited by Yaakov son of Chaim ibn Adoniyahu, first printed in Venice, 1525-1526.

Nearly all of the present edition was printed based on the 1525-1526 edition, but some corrections and additions were added, including numbering of every fifth verse and numbering of leaves. Added to the Torah part, allusions by the Baal HaTurim; added to Neviim Rishonim, commentary of R. Yeshayah di Trani on sides; in Neviim Acharonim, the commentary of Ibn Ezra was replaced by that of Radak on Yeshayahu and Trei Asar; in Ketuvim, the Radak's commentary on Divrei HaYamin was added.

The Five Megillot appear in the Ketuvim section, along with a title page (leaf 819) stating: "We saw fit to print the Five Megillot in their own volume… so that every person can append them to whichever book they would like…". The Ketuvim part also includes the Targum Yerushalmi on the Five Books of the Torah, the Masorah Gedolah, and additional selections relating to Torah reading.

Colophon at the end of Divrei HaYamim (p. 926b): "It was completed today, 4th Tishrei [1548]". However, in the second poem by R. Eliyahu Bachur (appearing on the last leaf of this volume), the date of completion is given as 24th Tishrei 1547.

On last leaf of second volume, signature of censor "Vittorio Eliano".

Two volumes. First volume (Torah and Neviim Rishonim): [6], 228; [1], 234-441, [1] leaves (last leaf blank). Second volume (Neviim Acharonim and Ketuvim): [1], 442-685, [1]; 687-926; 7, [1]; 889-949, [1] leaf. [1] leaf after leaf 685, leaf [818] and leaf [862] are blank. 41.5 cm. Good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Small marginal tears and open tears to several leaves, including small marginal tear to title page of first volume, and tear to one leaf slightly affecting text, repaired with tape (with no loss). Light worming. New leather bindings, uniform.