Auction 61 Rare and Important Items
Apr 24, 2018 (Your local time)
Israel
  8 Ramban St, Jerusalem.
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LOT 24:

Nevi'im Achronim with Abarbanel's Commentary - Pesaro, 1520 - Printed by Gershom Soncino

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Nevi'im Achronim, with the commentary of R. Isaac [Yitzchak] Abarbanel. [Pesaro]: [Gershom] Soncino, [1520]. First edition.
Title page with a woodcut border, encompassing the details of the printing and of the printer: "Printed in Italy by… renowned among the Jewish People Soncino, 1520…". In some copies, the verso of the title page is blank, however, in this copy it bears a long poem comprised of 52 stanzas written by the author's son, titled "Words of Yehuda son of the commentator, in praise of my father's commentary on the books of the nevi'im". The poem alludes to "Yehuda son of Isaac Abarbanel".
Glosses in Italian script were written on the margins of the book of Yeshaya, most very long [margins trimmed cutting off part of the glosses], by an unidentified writer. Several long glosses in Sephardi writing (Turkey and the Balkan) appear in the margins of one page of Hoshe'a and on a page of Michah.
This edition was printed 12 years after the death of the author, R. Isaac Abarbanel. At the end of his commentary to the book of Yeshaya, the author writes that "the beginning of this commentary was written in the island of Corfu on Rosh Chodesh Av 1595 and since this work was postponed in deference to other compositions, I completed it in the city of Naples on Rosh Chodesh Elul 1598…".
The famous Jewish printer R. Gershon Soncino, a leading Hebrew Italian printer, wandered with his family and printing equipment throughout various Italian cities. In each place he tarried, he printed Hebrew books. In Pesaro he printed some of the Talmudic tractates and other books as well. He also printed the first part of Abarbanel's commentary on Nevi'im Rishonim in Pesaro in 1511.
[397] leaves (originally: [398] leaves; leaf [398] lacking in this copy is a blank leaf). This copy is divided into two volumes, composed of various copies: Vol. 1: The first 200 leaves until the end of the Book of Yirmiya. 29.5 cm. Condition varies among the leaves, good-fair, most leaves are in good condition. Stains. Dampstains in several places. Wear and restored tears to title page, slightly affecting its border. Paper gluing to inner margins of the first leaves, not affecting text. Worming to the first ten leaves, damaging the text. Vol. 2: The next 197 leaves until the end of the Book of Malachi. The last leaf (blank) is lacking. 31 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Minor worming. The leaves of this volume have been professionally restored. Restored open tears, affecting text, to the (approximately 10) last leaves. New leather bindings. The words "Pesaro 1512" are erroneously embossed on the spine of Vol. 2, however, this volume is actually the continuation of the first volume and was printed in Pesaro in 1520.
Provenance: Collection of Dr. Israel Mehlman.

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