Bidspirit auction | Bible – Amsterdam, 1638 –

Bible – Amsterdam, 1638 – Printed by Menasseh Ben Israel – Small Format. - Bible – Five Books of the Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim. Amsterdam: Menasseh Ben Israel, [1638] (title page misdated 1639). All twenty-four books of the Tanach in their entirety, with vowelization and cantillation marks. “Accurately prepared with great precision and strength, including kri u’ketiv, open and closed sections, and defective and plene spellings according to the tradition of a Torah scroll.” One of the only editions of the Tanach of its time printed in sanctity by Jews. This edition is printed in two columns per page. This special layout corresponds to a known tradition received by Rabbi Aryeh Levin from the disciples of the disciples of the Vilna Gaon, regarding the proper format for conducting the “Goral HaGra” using a Tanach with two columns per page. In the middle of the volume appears “A table of the Haftarot for the entire year according to all customs.” 102; 94, [4]; 144, 144–166 leaves. 15.7 cm. Errors in the pagination. The books of Ketuvim are bound between the Torah and Neviim Rishonim.