Americana: The Leeser Bible. The First English Translation of the Bible by a Jewish Individual. A Complete and ...

Americana: The Leeser Bible. The First English Translation of the Bible by a Jewish Individual. A Complete and Well-Preserved Copy. Philadelphia, 1854.

"The Twenty-Four Books of the Holy Scriptures: Carefully translated…and supplied with short explanatory notes by Isaac Leeser."

Philadelphia: Published at 371 Walnut Street. 5614 [1854] [Stereotyped by L. Johnson & Co., Philadelphia]

Copyrighted by the author.

The Torah and Tanach in English: The Leeser Editions.

“Many attempts have been made of late years by Israelites in all European countries to furnish new versions in the various languages which they speak. Hitherto, no other translation in the English had been compiled by Jews.” Preface, R' Isaac Leeser.

In 1845, Rabbi Leeser published his own Hebrew-English edition of the Torah in five volumes. It was the first such translation in the United States, and became the standard Bible for English-speaking Jews during the nineteenth century. 

In 1853, R' Leeser completed his greatest work - a monumental English translation of the entire Tanakh, commonly called The Leeser Bible. This extraordinary, unprecedented volume, which he published in 1854, is a landmark in the history of American Jewish bible translations. The Leeser Bible, the first Jewish edition of the Tanach in English, became the standard American Jewish translation and remained so, well into the 20th-century.

Rabbi Isaac Leeser (1806-1868) was an American Orthodox Jewish religious leader, teacher, scholar and publisher. Born in Germany, he came to the United States at the age of 17.

He helped found the Jewish press of America, produced the first Jewish translation of the Bible into English, helped organize various social and educational organizations, and served as Chazzan of the prestigious Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia (1829-1850). Rabbi Leeser is considered one of the most important nineteenth century American Jewish personalities and was regarded as one of the most important Orthodox rabbis of his era.

28.5 cm. iv., 1011 pp. Very good condition. Title page and preface trimmed and professionally restored/mounted. Some foxing and light staining throughout. Modern calf leather binding.

Provenance: Acquired from John W. Lea.