Siddur Tefillot: A Woman's Ladino Prayer Book [Paris B.N., Esp. 668; 15th C.]

Lancaster, CA: Labyrinthos, 1995. Deluxe Limited Edition. Hardcover. vg. 1/300. 4to. xxxii,[4],266pp. Gold-stamped green cloth with gold lettering on spine. Includes ribbon marker and matching slipcase. "I am offering in the present publication of the Sephardic Classical Library the first edition of the oldest Ladino Prayer Book pre-dating the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. It is also the only specific Woman's Prayer Book preserved from the Sephardic tradition...The Ladino translation of this condensed version of the traditional Hebrew Prayer Book seems to be the work of an individual who undertook to select and translate those portions of the ritual most useful to a woman for her personal daily use at home and occasionally for the Sabbath and the festive days in the synagogue. in many places, the translator has altered verbs in the plural to singular as well as some masculine nouns to feminine in order to adapt the text to the individual female worshipper. The handwriting does not represent the work of a professional scribe, or that of a skilled medieval translator of the Scriptures, nor is his translation a copy of a previous written model. The manuscript represents a literal and spontaneous translation from the Hebrew, seemingly often from memory, in a spoken and dialectal language that reflects a much older Spanish-Jewish oral tradition." (M. Lazar). Volume 10 of the series "The Sephardic Classical Library." Unnumbered limited Deluxe edition. Text in Hebrew, with some Spanish and English. Fine condition. Scarce. (Inventory #: 23891)