Tredecim articuli fidei Iudaeorum. Item, Compendium elegans historiarum Iosephi… Item, Decem captivitates Iudaeorum [Thirteen Principles of Faith, history of the Second Temple period, and the Ten Exiles of Israel, translated and edited by Sebastian Münster. Worms (Vuormaciae): Peter Schöffer (the Younger), 1529. Hebrew and Latin on facing pages. First Latin edition of the works.
The book begins with an introduction (Latin only) by the translator and editor Sebastian Münster.
The book is comprised of three different works, with a Latin translation: the Thirteen Principles of Faith by the Rambam (from his commentary to Tractate Sanhedrin); a history of the Jewish kings of the Second Temple period, from Yosifon (text from Sefer HaKabbalah by R. Avraham ibn Daud; page headers in Hebrew and Latin: "Yosef-Iosippus"; this work takes up most of the present volume); and the Ten Exiles of Israel, a history of Israel from the exile of Sennacherib to the exile of Hadrian (based on a midrash cited in Sefer HaKabbalah by R. Avraham ibn Daud).
The location of printing is named in a colophon on the last page, featuring Schöffer's printer's device, with a fine woodcut depicting a man holding bagpipes, next to a pair of shepherds and an angel hovering in the sky, captioned above: "Gloria in excelsis Deo" ("Glory to G-d in heaven").
The book concludes with an attack on the Jewish religion by the editor, Sebastian Münster.
Notations and inscriptions within text and to margins of some leaves, as well as on verso of title page and last leaf, in Latin.
On penultimate leaf, stamp (perfin) of General Theological Seminary Library, New York.
[182] leaves. 14.5 cm. Good condition. Stains, including dampstains to inner margins of some leaves. Close trimming, slightly affecting marginal notes, in several places. Original leather binding, front side detached, without spine (wear and defects to binding).
This book was printed by Peter Schöffer the Younger (ca. 1475-1547), son of the famous printer Peter Schöffer, active in Mainz in the early days of printing, printing specialist in Johann Gutenberg's press and his chief assistant.
First Hebrew book printed in Worms (a few other books in Hebrew letters were printed there centuries later).
On the book, and on copies with title page erroneously indicating a different year of printing, see:
• Y. Yudlov, Ginzei Yisrael, no. 1872.
• Karl Heinz Burmeister, Sebastian Munster Bibliographie, Wiesbaden 1964, p.121, no. 163.
• F. W. E. Roth, Die Mainzer Buchdruckerfamilie Schoeffer waehrend des 16. Jahrhunderts und deren Erzeugnisse zu Mainz, Worms, Strassburg und Venedig. Leipzig, 1892, p. 141, no. 15.
