Bidspirit auction | On the Shem HaMeforash –

On the Shem HaMeforash – Anti-Semitic Work by Martin Luther – Wittenberg, 1543 – German - Vom Schem Hamphoras: und vom Geschlecht Christi [On the Shem HaMeforash and the lineage of Christ], by Martin Luther. Wittenberg: Georg Rhaw [Rhau], 1543. German. Anti-Semitic polemical work by the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, mainly comprising a demonization of Rabbinic Judaism and the Talmud. The work was published soon after his famous On the Jews and their Lies (Von den Juden und ihren Lügen), which describes the Jews as the children of the devil and the murderers of Jesus. Luther crassly ridicules the idea of a Shem HaMeforash (ineffable name) – a letter combination forbidden to be pronounced by the Jews, defames Jews and Judaism and declares the existence of the Jewish people to be illegitimate after the advent of Jesus. In one of the parts of the work, Luther describes the Judensau (Jews' sow) relief, a 13th-century defamatory image on the southeastern wall of the Wittenberg church, depicting, in his view, the true nature of the Jews. In the wake of this work, in 1570 this relief received the caption ”Rabini Schem HaMphoras”. This motif later became known as the Luthersau (Luther's sow). [64] leaves. 17.5 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including light dampstains. A few ink notations on margins. Close trimming, bordering text. New binding, slightly worn and defective. Inner margins of some page spreads reinforced with paper strips.