Machbarot Emmanuel. Brescia, 1491. Incunable

Machbarot Emmanuel. Brescia, 1491. Incunable

Sefer Machbarot L'Mar Emmanuel zlh"h- Machbarot Emmanuel,  first edition. Brescia, Gershom Soncino Press. 1491. Incunable.

The magnum opus Machbarot Emmanuel is one of the first Hebrew literary works to be printed. An important classic work, it has contributed to many languages, and many books and articles have been written about it.

The work includes words of mussar alongside jokes and songs. The composition includes 28 'notebooks.' The final notebook, number 28, is the most famous of them all,  Machberet HaTofet V'HaEden, which,  inter alia, details the bitter fate of sinners and evil people after their deaths.

Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the author, Emmanuel ben Shlomo ben Yekutiel HaTzafroni.

Printed without a title page, the opening word ’אמר’ is decorated. First or second book printed in Brescia, Italy. In the colophon: "This work of this book,  Machbarot Emmanuel, was completed by the youngest of engravers, Gershom HaMechokeki, son of ... Moshe, ztz"l, Zera Yisrael Ish Soncino. Completed here in Brescia ... Monday, 26 MarCheshvan, 5252 years since Creation."

Aharon Freiman,  Otzar L'Melechet HaDfus HaIvri HaRishonah B'Meah HaChamesh Esreh. Jerusalem, 1968, 77 A.

[159] leaf, without the blank leaf at the beginning. 19 cm.

Very fine condition. Minimal aging stains. Magnificent new leather binding.