Obj. ID: 37704  Evronot, Riva di Trento (Riva del Garda), 1560

This text was prepared by William Gross:

An early edition of this work on the intercalation of the Hebrew calendar, and the only edition of this particular text. The sales pitch on the title page plays on the title itself: "וקנה ספר עברונות כל בני עבר"
Sefer Evronot is a book for calculating of the months and the seasons of the Jewish year. Because the months are reckoned by the moon and the year by the sun, astronomical expertise was required to make the necessary adjustments, in order to ensure that the holidays are celebrated at the proper time. Interest in astronomy was thus mandated for religious Jews. Maimonides in fact devotes an entire section of his Mishnah Torah to what he lists as a positive commandment “to know how to determine which is the first day of each month of the year.”
This is the earlies Evronot in the GFC.
About 40 titles were printed in the Tyrolese town of Riva de Trento, better known for the Trent Blood libel of 1475 and the Councils of Trent from 1545-1563. For a short time, between 1558-1562, the town was in fact a refuge for the Hebrew book, due to the activities of Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, who argued at the Council of Trent in 1562 for leniency and moderation in condemning books. Madruzzo recruited, among others, R. Jacob Marcaria, a dayyan and physician, to help finance and play a role in the press, which was located in the house of Antonio Broën. Marcaria edited and wrote brief prefaces for most of the books in Riva di Trento. The present volume is attributed to him.