Obj. ID: 38143
Jewish printed books Zikaron be-Yerushalaim by Yehudah Poliastro, Istanbul (Constantinople), 1742
This text was prepared by William Gross:
As can be seen starting in the 16th century, the most oft-used symbol of Jerusalem in Hebrew printing was the Temple Mount as represented by the Dome of the Rock. In this interesting book, first published in Istanbul in 1742 the image of the Western Wall - the Kotel - appears for the first time in Hebrew printing. This excample is that first edition.The book was published two more times in the 18th century in Fuerth and Amsterdam and yet again in Jerusalem in the 19th. Only from the middle of the 19th century did the Kotel begin to appear as a symbol of Jerusalem, along with the continued use of the Dome of the Rock until the 1920's. Finally the use of the Kotel replaced completely the use of the image of the Dome of the Rock for Jewish purposes, often evolving into quite elaborate images. But the beginning of this most popular image today is rooted in the simple woodcuts shown in these three 18th century books. The text of the book concerns special prayers to be recited at the Holy Places in Eretz Israel.
In this edition the Kotel represents Jerusalem, along with a depiction of the Dome of the Rock as the Temple and an interesting depiction of Jericho with seven rings of walls. There is printed as well a schematic diagram of the postions of the Tribes of Israel in the desert.
48 pp.
This volume was issued by Yonah ben Ya’akov of Zalazitz, also known as Yonah ha-Ashkenazi, the person who re-initiated printing activity in Istanbul during the 18th century. A Jewish refugee from Poland, Yonah b. Ya’akov was the foremost Ottoman printer of his day, and was responsible for 188 of the c.210 books that were printed in Istanbul during this time. His printing house published some of the most important books that were written in that time. He was also one of the Jewish printers who assisted the Turks in founding the first Ottoman printing house.
Yonah b. Ya’akov founded his press in Istanbul, but was forced to move it to the Ortaköy suburb after a fire which broke out in the capital in 1712. Seven years later he was able to return and establish his enterprise in Istanbul.
In 1728 he founded a branch of his press in Izmir which was active for eleven years, and printed more than 30 books there. During the same period he printed 60 books in Istanbul. Due to another fire in 1740, Yonah b. Ya’akov’s activities were again interrupted. He resumed printing in 1742 in partnership with his sons, who continued to print for more than thirty years after his death in 1745. This volume, from 1742, bears only the name of Yonah ha-Ashkenazi, with no reference to his sons.