Ladino Pentateuch (Constantinople, 1547)

Culver City, CA: Labyrinthos, 1988. Deluxe Limited Edition. vg. 1/250. 4to. XVI, [2], 525pp. on acid-free paper. Original smyth-sewn cloth with decorations in gold on front board and gilt lettering on spine housed in matching slipcase. The Constantinople Pentateuch was printed in 1547 by Eliezer Soncino. Also known as the Torah or the Five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the Pentateuch tells the biblical story from the creation of the world to the death of Moses and the preparation of the Israelites to enter the land of Canaan. The oldest surviving Ladino version in Hebrew script, this work presents the text as (truncated) it was commonly used by Sephardic Jews in the Ottoman Empire, from the time of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, up to the 18th century when it was replaced by a new Ladino version edited by Abraham Assa (1739). Preface and Introduction in English; Ladino text in Hebrew script and romanized transliteration. Scarce work with slipcase. Binding and interior in overall near to fine condition. (Inventory #: 26384)