Bidspirit auction | For the first time in

For the first time in sales! Igeret Orchot Olam – Second and Rare Edition of the First Hebrew Work Describing America – Ofibach, 1720 - For the first time in sales! Igeret Orchot Olam – Second and Rare Edition of the First Hebrew Work Describing America – Ofibach, 1720 Igeret Orchot Olam, on ”the seven climate zones and the three continents – Asia, Africa and Europe” – geographic work, including accounts of America, by R. Avraham Farissol. Igeret Orchot Olam is the first Hebrew work discussing the discovery of the New World, including a description of America and of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. The work, authored by R. Farissol in 1524, includes two parts. The first part is a general description of the globe, its climate zones, continents and countries. The second part focuses on the discoveries of Spanish and Portuguese explorers, with a detailed account of the travels of Vasco da Gama around the Cape of the Good Hope on his way to India. The work also discusses the location of Gan Eden, the Sambatyon river and the Ten Lost Tribes. One chapter (chapter 29) is dedicated to America, and describes its inhabitants and geography – with descriptions of the Indian tribes, their habits, way of life, and wars; and descriptions of its tall mountains and vast forests swarming with ferocious animals and reptiles. In chapter 14, the author speaks of the fate of the Ten Lost Tribes. P. 33b features a diagram illustrating the shape of the new continent. Inscriptions on the front endpaper (the Ten Sefirot). The first edition was for sale only once at Kedem, for $35,000 R. Avraham Farissol (ca. 1452 – ca. 1526), Italian Torah scholar and Renaissance man. Born in Avignon in the south of France, he immigrated to Italy at a young age. After a brief period in Mantua, he settled in Ferrara, where he lived most his life. He was involved in the community, serving as cantor and teacher. He was renowned as a meticulous copyist of manuscripts, and copied many books. Due to his familiarity with both Jewish and secular texts, he was chosen by the Jewish community of Ferrara to represent them in the disputation with Dominican monks (this influenced him to write Magen Avraham, a polemical work in part against Christianity and Islam). R. Farissol's great interest in the Age of Discovery led him to compose the present book – Igeret Orchot Olam – which became his most famous work. Igeret Orchot Olam is the first Hebrew geographic work, and the first Hebrew work reporting the discovery of America and other findings. The last page is missing