Igeret Orchot Olam – First and Rare Edition of the First Hebrew Work Describing America – Venice, 1586 – Signatures ...

Igeret Orchot Olam – First and Rare Edition of the First Hebrew Work Describing America – Venice, 1586 – Signatures and Glosses of "Ish Ger", Rabbi Avraham Yosef Shlomo Graziano
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. Venice: Zuan di Gara, Tishrei 1586. First edition.
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.
Table of contents at the beginning of the book, after the author's preface.
Signatures on the title page, final leaf and several other places: "Ish Ger" – acronym of R. Avraham Yosef Shlomo Graziano, Jewish-Italian scholar and maskil in the 17th century; renowned collector of books and manuscripts.
The book contains many glosses in his handwriting, including some lengthy ones, comprising explanations, additions and emendations.
Inscriptions on the front endpaper (the Ten Sefirot).
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.
36 leaves. 15 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, some leaves with many stains. Marginal open tear to title page. Small hole to title page from ink erosion, slightly affecting border. Marginal worming to title page and two other leaves. Title page partially detached. Early parchment binding, damaged and loose.