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מ - Divrei Rivos by Yitzchak Shtanov. Rare single edition, Berlin, 5559 [1799]. With forged approbations and title pages. Stereotyped edition.. Among the most intriguing bibliographical works of the Haskalah period. Sefer “Divrei Rivos”, Berlin, 5559 [1799]. In both title pages the place of printing is deliberately stated as “printed here in Konstantina, ” whereas in fact it was printed in Berlin by Yitzchak Shtanov, who attributed his own work to an earlier author. The work was composed in imitation of the Kuzari and consists of philosophical–religious dialogues in a polemical literary style. It is divided into two parts, each with its own separate title page: Part I: “Copy of the account of a debate that took place between a king of the western lands, his general, and the royal physician, a Jewish man” — 22 chapters. Part II: “Copy of the account of a debate that took place between the sons of the aforementioned king from the first part and the Enlighteners of God” — 30 chapters. Falsified approbations In addition to the fabricated title pages, the beginning of Part I includes “approbations of the sages, ” bearing three forged signatures, among them: “Chaim Nechemiah Mizrachi of Moscow, ” “Efraim Fishl of Jerusalem, ” and “Yochanan son of Shlomo Salman, native of Damascus” — all written by the author himself. Yitzchak Shtanov [ca. 1732–1805], one of the most controversial figures in Hebrew book history, was known for the unusual practice—unlike typical forgers who attribute others’ works to themselves—of attributing his own compositions to earlier authors, as well as forging approbations, title pages, and bibliographic details. His figure already provoked controversy in his lifetime and continued to occupy scholars of Hebrew bibliography in later generations. A number of glosses within the sefer. Stamps on the title page and enpaper. An extremely rare book. Single edition. Original leather binding, slightly worn. Specifications: 48, 68 leaves. On the second title page: pasted reinforcement and paper repairs slightly affecting text; typical age stains; small tear on the final leaf without loss of text. Good condition.