Obj. ID: 37622  Chamishah Chumshei Torah, Venice, 1684

This text was prepared by William Gross:

The five books of the Torah, "Good for preparing a Sefer Torah", with Five Megillot and Haftarot. Vowelized. Venice, [1684]. On the title page: an illustration of the seven-branched menorah.
The symbol of the menorah is found in Hebrew printing in both printers’ marks and in illustrations in books. But this representation of the menorah on the title page of a Bible is highly unusual.
The Vendramin Hebrew press was established in 1630 by Giovanni Vendramin, who thereby broke the monopoly enjoyed by the Bragadin family in Venice. The press eventually joined with that of Bragadin, however, and the combined presses continue to operate well into the 18th C.