Bidspirit auction | Oth Emeth. Salonika, 1565. First

Oth Emeth. Salonika, 1565. First Edition. One of the Earliest and Rarest Books Printed in Sixteenth-Century Salonika - Oth Emeth, a work of textual corrections, annotations, and references to Midrashic compilations and Yalkutim, followed by the appendix Seder Kedushah, containing corrections to errors in the liturgical text, authored by Rabbi Meir Benveniste. Salonika, printed by Joseph ben Isaac Yaavetz, 1565. First edition. An especially impressive copy of one of the rarest and most important Hebrew books printed in sixteenth-century Salonika. Early books from the presses of Salonika generally survived in poor condition due to intensive use and the passage of time; consequently, a well-preserved copy such as the present example is a noteworthy rarity. Rabbi Meir Benveniste’s work represents one of the earliest and most ambitious bibliographical and textual enterprises in Hebrew printing. Referring to himself in the introduction simply as “the proofreader, ” the author carefully examined the Midrashic and Yalkut literature printed in the generations preceding his own and corrected thousands of textual errors. According to his own account, the work contains more than ten thousand emendations, corrections, and references, providing an important foundation for the accurate study of Midrashic literature. Printed at the end of the volume is the treatise Seder Kedushah, which presents corrections to the text of the prayer book based on the Talmud, halachic authorities, and classical commentators. Of particular significance is the fact that some of these corrections were copied from the prayer book of the kabbalist Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, author of the celebrated hymn Lecha Dodi, thereby preserving valuable and early liturgical traditions. The book was produced in the press of Joseph ben Isaac Yaavetz, one of the earliest and most important Hebrew printers of Salonika. The city’s sixteenth-century presses rank among the cornerstones of post-Expulsion Hebrew printing, and books from this formative period are highly sought after by collectors and research libraries alike. Oth Emeth is a rare and highly desirable work, important both for its unique scholarly content and for its place among the earliest books printed during the golden age of Hebrew printing in the Ottoman Empire. 182 leaves. 22 cm. Condition: Good to very good. A well-preserved copy with light staining. Handsomely bound in an embossed leather binding.