Subasta 85 Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Art
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LOTE 147:

(LADINO)
[The Book of Esther with Ladino translation]
Title in large bold letters with three ...

Precio estimado:
$ 5,000 - $7,000
Comisión de la casa de subasta: 25%
IVA: Sólo en comisión
etiquetas:

(LADINO)
[The Book of Esther with Ladino translation]



Title in large bold letters with three florets. Hebrew text and Judeo-Español translation face `a face, both printed in square letters. Hebrew provided with both vowel points and cantillation, Judeo-Español with vowel points.
ff. 10 (of 12). Apparently lacking a leaf after f.4 and final leaf. Expertly remargined, text slightly affected. Modern calf. 8vo. Unrecorded
Constantinople or Salonika (?): Ya'abetz (?) 16th Century (?)
Ostensibly a Unicum of an Early Ladino Translation of the Scroll of Esther. Though difficult to make a conclusive determination, several factors go to determine that our diminutive Book of Esther is either a Salonika or Constantinople imprint. Both the florets and the typography were those employed by the House of Ya'abetz. (For florets, see facsimiles in Ya'ari Constantinople, pp. 125 and 135; for typography, see facs. on p.125). The printing establishment of Joseph Ya'abetz (joined at times by his brother Solomon Ya'abetz) functioned in Salonika and later Constantinople between the years 1546-1593 (with a brief interlude in Adrianople in the years 1554-1555). (See Ya'ari, Const., p. 26; J. Hacker, Aresheth V [1972], p. 470.) The typography is identical to that of the Machzor Romania produced by Joseph Ya'abetz between the years 1575-1578 (Ya'ari, Const. 188, facs. on p.125). (By a similar process of comparing typography, Prof. Hacker was able to ascertain that the Ladino translation of Bachya's Chovoth HaLevavoth was done by Joseph Ya'avetz in Salonika. See J. Hacker, op. cit., p.488, no.174). Assuming this is correct, this makes our volume here one of the earliest Ladino (or Judeo-Español) translations of the Bible, and perhaps the earliest extant Ladino translation of Esther. (Ya'ari records no Esther earlier than 1808. See Ya'ari, Ladino [1934], p.3, no. 13). The earliest dated Ladino translation of the Bible known to bibliographers is the trilingual Hebrew-Greek-Ladino Pentateuch produced by Soncino in Constantinople in 1547 (Vinograd, Const. 191; Ya'ari Const. 144; Darlow and Moule 1418 and 5092). (The title explains that those two languages were the vernacular of the Jews of Constantinople — the earlier Romaniote community being Greek-speaking and the newer Sephardic community being Spanish-speaking.) Though the title advertises "Chamesh Megilloth" (Five Scrolls) as well—the reality is otherwise. (See J. Hacker, op. cit., p.471, n.102; pp.482-3, no.144.) Between the years 1569-1572, additional books of the Prophets and Writings in Ladino translation were printed in Salonika in the House of Ya'abetz. In 1585, there appeared in Salonika yet another addition of Trei Asar (Minor Prophets), this the work of David ben Abraham Azobib (Vinograd, Salonica 115.) (See I. Rivkind, Kiryath Sepher I [1924], pp. 295; and KS, XIV [1937-38], p. 109). Isaac Rivkind described a comparable Psalter with Ladino translation, located in the Library of JTSA. Much smaller in size (16mo), it too was printed in square Hebrew characters provided with vowel points — Hebrew in the right column and Ladino in the left column facing, as in our edition. Ya'ari has dated it as early as 1540. (See I. Rivkind, Kiryath Sepher, XIV [1937-38], p. 110; Ya'ari Const. 130A; Vinograd, Const. 170). Evidently, our work consisted originally of three printers' signatures of four leaves each. Where the first signature is complete, lacking here is the first leaf of the second signature, as well as the final leaf of the third signature.
Ostensibly a Unicum of an Early Ladino Translation of the Scroll of Esther. Though difficult to make a conclusive determination, several factors go to determine that our diminutive Book of Esther is either a Salonika or Constantinople imprint. Both the florets and the typography were those employed by the House of Ya'abetz. (For florets, see facsimiles in Ya'ari Constantinople, pp. 125 and 135; for typography, see facs. on p.125). The printing establishment of Joseph Ya'abetz (joined at times by his brother Solomon Ya'abetz) functioned in Salonika and later Constantinople between the years 1546-1593 (with a brief interlude in Adrianople in the years 1554-1555). (See Ya'ari, Const., p. 26; J. Hacker, Aresheth V [1972], p. 470.) The typography is identical to that of the Machzor Romania produced by Joseph Ya'abetz between the years 1575-1578 (Ya'ari, Const. 188, facs. on p.125). (By a similar process of comparing typography, Prof. Hacker was able to ascertain that the Ladino translation of Bachya's Chovoth HaLevavoth was done by Joseph Ya'avetz in Salonika. See J. Hacker, op. cit., p.488, no.174). Assuming this is correct, this makes our volume here one of the earliest Ladino (or Judeo-Español) translations of the Bible, and perhaps the earliest extant Ladino translation of Esther. (Ya'ari records no Esther earlier than 1808. See Ya'ari, Ladino [1934], p.3, no. 13). The earliest dated Ladino translation of the Bible known to bibliographers is the trilingual Hebrew-Greek-Ladino Pentateuch produced by Soncino in Constantinople in 1547 (Vinograd, Const. 191; Ya'ari Const. 144; Darlow and Moule 1418 and 5092). (The title explains that those two languages were the vernacular of the Jews of Constantinople — the earlier Romaniote community being Greek-speaking and the newer Sephardic community being Spanish-speaking.) Though the title advertises "Chamesh Megilloth" (Five Scrolls) as well—the reality is otherwise. (See J. Hacker, op. cit., p.471, n.102; pp.482-3, no.144.) Between the years 1569-1572, additional books of the Prophets and Writings in Ladino translation were printed in Salonika in the House of Ya'abetz. In 1585, there appeared in Salonika yet another addition of Trei Asar (Minor Prophets), this the work of David ben Abraham Azobib (Vinograd, Salonica 115.) (See I. Rivkind, Kiryath Sepher I [1924], pp. 295; and KS, XIV [1937-38], p. 109). Isaac Rivkind described a comparable Psalter with Ladino translation, located in the Library of JTSA. Much smaller in size (16mo), it too was printed in square Hebrew characters provided with vowel points — Hebrew in the right column and Ladino in the left column facing, as in our edition. Ya'ari has dated it as early as 1540. (See I. Rivkind, Kiryath Sepher, XIV [1937-38], p. 110; Ya'ari Const. 130A; Vinograd, Const. 170). Evidently, our work consisted originally of three printers' signatures of four leaves each. Where the first signature is complete, lacking here is the first leaf of the second signature, as well as the final leaf of the third signature.