Bidspirit auction | Sifte Yeshenim, Amsterdam, [1680]. The first

Sifte Yeshenim, Amsterdam, [1680]. The first Hebrew bibliographical book - Sifte Yeshenim. Titles of books and their authors, with summaries of the contents, place and year of printing, including also books in manuscript that were never printed. By Rabbi Shabtai Meshorer Bas. Amsterdam, 5440 [1680]. First edition. The first Hebrew bibliographical book. The author, also famed for his classic work Siftei Ḥakhamim on Rashi’s commentary, was a renowned expert in Hebrew books and traveled from place to place in search of them. The book received numerous approbations. It opens with an interesting introduction by the author on the importance and benefit of such a work. The book includes approximately 2,000 titles—printed books and manuscripts alike. The author arranged the works according to a systematic classification by subjects, sub-subjects, and even further subdivisions, a system he himself devised. For each book he provided bibliographical details. Rabbi Shabtai Meshorer Bas [5411–5478 / 1651–1718], author of the celebrated Siftei Ḥakhamim on Rashi (printed in virtually all editions of the Pentateuch). His brother was the “Godly man, ” Rabbi Yaakov Shtremersh, who immigrated to the Land of Israel, as mentioned in the approbations to the present work. Rabbi Shabtai established a printing press in Dührenfurt in order to print his books and founded a Jewish community there. He was also a well-known expert in sacred books and traveled widely in search of them. Stefansky, Seferi Yesod 541. [2] leaves, 92 pages; pp. 93–108, 19.5 cm. Very good condition. Light age staining. Colored edges. Attractive half-leather and marbled paper binding.