Meshal HaKadmoni, by R. Yitzchak ibn Sahula, with many woodcut illustrations. [Venice]: Meir son of Yaakov Parenzo, [1547?].

Meshal HaKadmoni, the first illustrated Hebrew book, was first printed by Gershom Soncino in Brescia, ca. 1491; and again ca. 1497 (a copy of the second edition was sold in Kedem Auction 83, Part I, Lot 16). This is the third edition of the book, printed in Venice.

The author,
R. Yitzchak son of Shlomo ibn Sahula, was a philosopher, physician and kabbalist. Born in Spain in 1244, and probably passed away in late 13th century. His Meshal HaKadmoni is a Jewish maqama (rhymed prose) composed of fables, parables and poems, striving to inculcate ethics and virtue. Various animal fables are employed by the author as moral allegories. Part of the work takes the form of a dialogue between the author and his opponent, who argue over the importance of character traits, employing fables and parables to express their views.

The book includes many woodcuts, illustrating scenes from the parables and fables, depicting both animal and human figures. The illustrations, which originate from the author's autograph (now lost), were copied in later manuscripts, and eventually printed by the Soncino family. The present edition features a new series of woodcut illustrations, more detailed than the illustrations found in the Soncino edition (the illustrations in the present edition are numbered, 1-79).

Printer's device of Meir son of Yaakov Parenzo on title page: a seven-branched menorah with knobs and flowers, standing on three legs, with inscriptions on three sides alluding to the printer's name (see: A. Yaari, Diglei HaMadpisim HaIvriyim, Jerusalem 1944, no. 14; note on p. 128).

On last leaf, signatures of censors: Camillo Jaghel, dated 1613; Luigi da Bologna, dated 1601; Hippolitus Ferrarensis, dated 1594; and Renatus a Mutina, dated 1620(?).

Handwritten addition on p. 3b (copying of sentences from beginning of next page). Another Hebrew inscription on last leaf.

64 leaves. 18.5 cm. Fair condition. Many stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Tears, including open tears to several leaves, affecting text, repaired with paper filling. Open tear to top of title page, slightly affecting title, repaired with paper filling (with handwritten replacements for tops of several letters). Worming, affecting text, partially repaired with paper filling. Close trimming, slightly affecting headers. New parchment binding.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

For more on the book and its editions, see: A.M. Habermann, Kiryat Sefer, XXIX, 1953, pp. 199-203; A.J. Karp, From the Ends of the Earth: Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress (1991), p. 125.

On the printer Meir Parenzo, see: Habermann, Perakim BeToldot HaMadpisim HaIvriyim, pp. 168-169.