Bidspirit auction | CHEFETZ, MOSHE. (Moses ben Gershon

CHEFETZ, MOSHE. (Moses ben Gershon Gentili). Malecheth Machsheveth [novellae to the Pentateuch based upon the Natural Sciences]. - FIRST EDITION.  Additional engraved title by Gissepi Valerani depicting Moses bringing forth water from the rock. Engraved frontispiece portrait  of the author (see Rubens 676) bound following the index prior to the commencement of the text; followed by age of engraved astronomical and mathematical diagrams. ff. (11), 98. Misbound but all complete. Light worming on last few leaves, damp-wrinkled. Contemporary calf-backed marbled boards, upper cover detached. Folio. Vinograd, Venice 1591; Mehlman 649. Venice, Bragadin, 1710      The author, a native of Trieste and a child prodigy, developed into a fine Rabbinic decisor as well as a scholar deeply familiar with the the sciences.     The engraved frontispiece portrait depicts the author without a head covering and clean-shaven as was the custom among many of the Rabbis of Italy. Interestingly, the author's portrait in the second edition of the work (Koenigsberg, 1814), was altered to include a head-covering, gray hair and the Hebrew title ”The Sage” (HaGaon), seemingly more becoming of a Rabbi. The portrait in this first edition is often lacking.     According to Yudlow (in his description of the Mehlman copy), the index of philosophical subjects discussed entitled ”Kelalim B'Mechkar” is especially scarce, as it was printed after completion of the publication and not inserted in many copies.