Obj. ID: 40586
Jewish printed books  De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis by Petrus Columna Galatinus, Ortona, 1518

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Opus toti christianae reipublicae maxime utile, de arcanis catholicae ueritatis, contra obstinatissimam Iudaeorum nostrae tempestatis perfidiam: ex Talmud, aliisque hebraicis libris nuper excerptum [about the secrets of Christianity opposing the obstinacy and lack of faith of the Jews of our times, according to the Talmud and other books], by Pietro Galatino, Ortana (Italy), 1518. Printed by Gershom Soncino.
Opus toti christiane reipublice maxime utile, de arcanis catholice ueritatis, contra obstinatissimam iudeoru[m] nostre tempestatis p[er]fidiam: ex Talmud, aliisq[ue] hebraicis libris nuper excerptum [A Work Most Useful for the Christian Republic on the Secrets of the Catholic Truth, against the Hard-Hearted Wickedness of Our Jews, Newly Excerpted from the Talmud and Other Hebrew Books…], by Pietro Galatino. Ortona (Italy): Gershom Soncino, 1518. Latin and some Hebrew. Between 1507 and 1509, the Jewish apostate Johannes Pfefferkorn published a number of anti-Jewish tracts; considering Jewish books, and especially the Talmud, to be "the source of all evil", he called to have them seized and destroyed. Due to his efforts, in 1509, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I ordered the confiscation of Jewish books by authorized agents. Pfefferkorn, in his capacity as the Frankfurt agent, immediately began carrying out the order. The confiscation of Jewish books aroused the opposition of several German scholars, who claimed that Christian truth was hidden in Jewish sources. The debate that developed eventually led the emperor to rescind the order. This book is unique in being an anti-Jewish work printed by one of the leading Hebrew printers in Italy, Gershom Soncino. The book, authored by the Friar Minor Pietro Colonna Galatino, shows that Jewish texts contain hints pertaining to the Christian doctrine. Perhaps Soncino agreed to print this work, which attacks his own religion, since it could be used to support the claims of those who opposed Pfefferkorn (thus protecting Jewish books). The book contains many Biblical and Talmudic quotes in Hebrew. First page of each chapter within woodcut border (this border was used in the title pages of various Hebrew books printed by Gershom Soncino, such as Kol Bo, Rimini 1525-1526). Gershom Soncino, one of the leading Hebrew printers, wandered with his printing equipment through various Italian cities. He printed three books in Ortona, including one in Hebrew. This is the first book he printed in Ortona.
Latin with many Hebrew quotes from the Scriptures and the Talmud. At the beginning of each chapter is a wood-cut illustrated frame [this frame was also used for the title pages of the Hebrew books printed by Gershom Soncino, e.g. the Kol Bo, Rimini 1515-1516]. First edition of a Latin anti-Jewish work, written by the Italian Friar Minor and philosopher Pietro Colonna Galatino (Petrus Galatinus). Hebrew poems praising the book, written by Jewish apostates, appear on the title page and the following page.
Gershom Soncino, one of the leading Hebrew printers in Italy, who wandered with his printing tools throughout various Italian cities, printed three books in Ortona, one of them in Hebrew. this is the first book he printed in Ortona and it is unclear why he agreed to print this anti-Jewish book (he probably knew its content). Possibly, he was forced to print it by the Christian Inquisition or compelled to do so for some unknown reason.
Pietro Columna Galatinus, an Italian Christian theologian, Hebraist and Kabbalist, was one of those who supported Johannes Reuchlin in his attempts to silence Johannes Pfefferkorn, an apostate Jew who agitated for the confiscation of the Talmud and other Jewish books in the beginning of the sixteenth century. De Arcanis, Galatinus's most important work, was an attempt to use Jewish sources, including the Zohar, to prove the veracity of Catholicism. While it demonstrated the utility of Jewish sources for Christian needs, and thus vindicated Reuchlin's position, it also attacked Judaism. The potential ramifications of the Reuchlin-Pfefferkorn controversy, and Galatinus's stated desire in De Arcanis to see the Talmud published (Bomberg had not yet begun to publish his pioneering edition), may have been what caused its Jewish printer, Gershom Socinco, to overlook the book's anti-Jewish content when agreeing to print it.
De Arcanis is one of just four books that Gershom Soncino printed during his short sojourn in Ortona. The Latin text of De Arcanis contains many Hebrew quotes. Indeed it was the first book printed in Ortona with Hebrew type.

In folio (295x204) cc. CCCXI, (1), title page with title framed by decorative woodcut border, in 4 wood united in the Renaissance style with grotesque masks and foliage, vases, and eleven other borders of two types, similar to the first, repeated, posed at the beginning of each books in which the work is divided (excluding the sixth book that is editorially free), initial decorated with girari on a black background, interspersed with Roman character round Hebrew characters. Privilege of Leo V the last card after colophon.Legatura in full leather modern style with dry impressions and gold dishes, spine, nerve, cuts spray. First book printed in Ortona a Mare from the famous typographer Gerschon Soncino, jew itinerant, who took refuge in Abruzzo to escape persecution papali.Bella edition of the 'most important work of Galatinus, Franciscan theologian born in 1460 in the picturesque town of Puglia, where the' author states the importance of Jewish texts, the work also includes studies on the Kabbalah and the Talmud, and also includes a defense of Johannes Reuchlin, the author of "De cabalistic art," that he was persecuted for his ideas, expressed in the famous text, considered one of the basic texts of the kabbalistic literature. It 's in the form of a dialogue between Noose (Reuchlin), the inquisitor Hoghostrat and the author stesso.Buon specimen with some stains mostly marginal restoration to the inner edge of the title page and the last card, which also features other restorations minors. Handwritten note on the title page, which also has a small hole, stamp repeated in front of the shelf. and paper ii. Binding with mild abrasioni.Isaac 14044; Fumagalli, pg. 268; Brunet II, 1447: "Ed orig. Avec beaucoup de cet ouvrage de en citation Hébreux." (Imprint: c. CCCXr): Imprint true Orthonae maris, summa 'cum diliAnno christianae Nativitatis. MDXVIII, fifteenth Kalendas Martias (Ortona a Mare, Jerome Soncino, 1518).
CCCXI, [1] leaves