Printed papal bull: Cum Hebraeorum malitia, by Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605). Rome: Paolo Blado, 28 February 1593. Latin.
The bull reinstates and harshens the anti-Jewish decrees against the Talmud and kabbalistic literature, abrogating all leniencies and permissions given to the Jews by previous popes. It bases itself on a long line of earlier decrees levied by popes since the Middle Ages, and extends them further.
The bull absolutely prohibits the Jews to own, read or distribute the Talmud, kabbalistic writings or any book that contains explicit or implicit "affronts, impieties and blasphemies" against G-d, Christianity and the Church. It moreover forbids even books that have already been censored and purged of offensive material, or books reprinted with Church approval. The bull expands the prohibition to include printers – both Jewish and Christian – who are prohibited from printing, scribing, copying or trading in these books.
The bull mandates that the Jews of Rome most provide the Inquisition with all the forbidden books within ten days; the rest of the Jews in the Papal States were commanded to do so within two months. These books were to be burned publicly with no delay. Church authorities are instructed to diligently search for forbidden books in synagogues, community institutions, private homes and Christian bookshops, threatening strict punishment for anyone caught with these books in their possession.
This bull is regarded as one of the harshest prohibitions levied by the Church against the Talmud and kabbalistic literature, as it effectively annulled all permissions and leniencies granted by previous popes, and indiscriminately forbade books that had been censored or received official approval. This calamity followed yet another blow no less serious: a mere three days earlier (25 February 1593), the bull Caeca et Obdurata Hebraeorum perfidia had decreed that all the Jews were to be expelled from the Papal States, apart from the cities Rome, Ancona and Avignon (see previous lot).
[1] folded leaf (3 printed pages). 32.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Creases and wear. Marginal tear to first leaf.
See: Attilio Milano, Il ghetto di Roma, Rome: Staderini, 1964, p. 83.
Rare. Not recorded in NLI catalogue.
