Incunabula!
Neviim Acharonim with Radak’s Commentary
Soncino, 1486
First Printing of Neviim Acharonim!!!
Important and complete incunabula. Neviim Acharonim – Yeshayahu, Yirmiyahu, Yechezkel and Trei Asar with commentary by the great commentator Rabbeinu David Kimchi, the Radak.
Historic first printing of the Neviim Acharonim!
The Tanach in Lashon Hakodesh was first printed in its entirety in 1488. However, parts of it, the Chumashim alone, or the Neviim alone, were printed before then. Here, a significant portion of the Tanach – the text of the Neviim Acharonim – was printed for the first time in this historic printing.
The Soncino family of printers were the most renowned Jewish printers in the early days of printing. This sefer was printed in the city of Soncino in northern Italy by the printer Joshua Solomon, son of Israel Nathan Soncino who established the printing house. Rabbi Joshua Solomon was the first printer to print the complete Tanach. His nephew was the printer Gershom Soncino.
Rabbi David Kimchi (1160-1235), renowned by his initials Radak, was one of the greatest Biblical commentators and grammarians in Jewish history. He lived in Narbonne and Spain. He debated with Christian Biblical interpretations and defended the Rambam from his critics. His commentary on Neviim and Kesuvim is among the most fundamental commentaries, and the early authorities extolled him by saying, "If there is no flour (kemach/Kimchi) there is no Torah." (Rabbi David ibn Yachya, in his introduction to Kav VeNaki, Lisbon 1492).
The first edition of the Radak’s commentary was printed without the text of the Neviim in Guadalajara, Spain in 1482, but no complete copy is known to exist in the world (see Stefansky Incunabula, p. 404). Here, the Radak’s commentary on Neviim Acharonim was printed for the first time alongside the text of the Neviim.
Soncino, 1486
Without a place and date of printing, but all typographic details are identical to Neviim Rishonim, Soncino 1486; see Tishby mentioned below.
Page Count: [293] leaves.
Size: 26 cm.
Condition: Overall very good; thick quality paper; clean and smooth pages in nice condition, some with stains. The top half of the first leaf featuring a poem by the author is restored with artistic restoration; some minor losses mainly in margins, restored.
Beautiful new leather binding.
Description: Mosty printed in two columns – the Scripture on the right side of the page and the commentary on the left. The Scripture is in square Sephardic-Italian type letters; the commentary is in medium (‘Rashi’) letters. With page headers and catchwords.
The opening words of each sefer were not printed and their space was left blank, to be completed by hand. In this copy, the opening words were added by hand except in Yechezkel and Tzfania.
Bibliography: Stefansky, Incunabula #i12 / Yakirson #26 / Tishby, Kiryat Sefer 63, pp. 608-615, 626-629 / Haberman, The Soncino Family Printers #10 / Freiman, Otzar A39
Am Yisrael Chai
This sefer survived 538 years!
Through centuries of persecution, the Torah endured! The censor’s hand did not succeed in eliminating it, the evil claws of the Inquisition did not succeed in laying their hands on it, and it survived the book burnings in Italy. While those who sought to destroy the Jewish faith and people have vanished into history’s depths, the Torah stands as a testament to Klal Yisrael’s immortal spirit, and as a symbol that they will survive for all eternity!
Incunabula
Incunabula (plural of incunable) are books printed in Europe prior to the 16th century. The word derives from the Latin term ‘cradle’ or ‘swaddling cloth’, connoting the infancy of the printed word. While the incunable period actually stretches across a half-century, from 1445-1500, the first Hebrew presses opened only two decades later, and thus the period of Hebrew incunabula lasted a mere thirty years, from 1469-1500.
The estimated number of Hebrew works printed during the incunable period is approximately two hundred. Incunabula are desirable collectibles, highly sought-after by antique Judaica collectors. The greatest libraries in the world vie for the quantity of incunabula in their treasured collections.
