Obj. ID: 37337
Jewish printed books  Arzei Levanon, Venice, 1601

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Fundamental collection of seven first edition treatises, mostly comprising early Kabbalah texts. 1. Midrash Konan – on Bereishis and the Maaseh Merkavah, by the Amora Rabbi Shmuel2. Sefer Ha’Emunah V’HaBitachon – attributed to the Rambam 3. Sefer HaNikud – on the hidden meaning of nekudos, by Rabbi Yosef ben Avraham Gikatilla4. Sod HaChashmal – on sefer Yechezkel by Rabbi Yosef ben Avraham Gikatilla5. Pirkei Heichalos – by Rabbi Yishmael Cohen Gadol6. Ma’ayan Chachma – attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu7. Klalei Midrash Rabbah – by Rabbi Avraham Akra
This first edition was published in Venice, 1601.
Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod – Classics No. 35550 leaves | 20 cm |
Compendium of seven small independent works, “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Ps.19:11). The title page informs that these works, albeit small in size, are great in value, and none have been printed previously.
Title page with architectural frame, laden with lush vines, and showing, below, the figures of the mythological Mars and Minerva. This frame was previously employed by Francesco Minizio Calvo, a printer of Latin and Italian books in Rome (1521-1534) and Milan (1539-1545). It was first used in Hebrew books in Sabbioneta and afterwards, both the original and in copy, in Venice, Salonika and Cracow.
The printer Giovanni di Gara (active 1564-1610) was known in Venice as the “Heir of Bomberg” not only because Bomberg instructed him in Hebrew printing, but also because he acquired most of Bomberg’s Hebrew types. He was born in Riva del Garda to Christian parents sometime between 1520 and 1530 and moved to Venice with his family as a young boy. He began working at Bomberg’s press as a child. It is believed di Gara’s first Hebrew books were printed at Bomberg’s own press, since some of them bear the phrase “in the house of Bomberg”. In other early Hebrew books, di Gara noted when he used Bomberg’s types with the phrase “with the letters of Bomberg”. Over time, this phrase came to mean ‘in the Bomberg style’.
Di Gara worked closely with the press of fellow Venetian Bragadini, as evidenced by the use of his types from 1599 to 1600 and the incorporation of his three-crown printer’s mark (di Gara’s own printer’s mark was a small single crown). Di Gara employed Jews whenever legally permitted to do so to ensure the accuracy of his Hebrew editions. Books printed under the supervision of Christian typesetters suffered from many errors, whose corrections were costly to the firm.
Di Gara’s press printed close to 300 Hebrew books from approximately 1565 until his death in 1609 (at least one Hebrew book was printed posthumously from his press in 1610). As a result of the Counter Reformation and the Roman Inquisition, Hebrew books printed in Italy were subject to examination and censorship and could not be printed without prior permission from the relevant authorities. Books subject to these restrictions had a version of the phrase “con licentia dei superiori” meaning “with permission of the superior” printed at the bottom of the title page. An abbreviation of this phrase can be seen on the present title page.