REUCHLIN, Johannes Principium libri...De rudimentis hebraicis liber primus (- liber tertius). Pforzheim, Anshelm 1506.
Folio. (1) S. (= half-title), pp. 1 - 261, (1) p., pp. 262 - 542, 545 - 588, 589 / (90) (=additional leaf), S. 589 - 616, 616 (pagination repeated) - (621); (4) pp. ( = 628 pp.: thus complete). Printer#s device, woodcut (coat-of-arms).Blind-stamped (upper Rhein?) pigskin (rubbed, stained), lacking ties. First edition. The first teaching manual on Hebraic is composed of a dictionary in two parts and a grammar. At the same time Anshelm used, for the first time in Germany, Hebrew letters (which he had made according to Italian prototypes). This first edition of 1000 copies was produced at Reuchlin's own cost. The intentions which lay behind this introduction to Hebraic were formulated in a letter which he wrote to J. Amerbach in Basel, to whom he offered the unsold remaining copies: "(I)t was necessary to revive the dignity of the holy scriptures which had become lost and to rewrite in this hitherto unknown form for those who were familiar with Latin and through misplaced trust in their daily readings, and to return to the original language as spoken by God himself (quale os dei locutum est), not without also experiencing a certain wonderment at this never before dared, and only now accomplished, undertaking" (M. Brod, J. Reuchlin und sein Kampf. Wiesbaden 1988. p. 176). Additional leaf p. 589/90 as usual when present, paper cut non-uniformly. New endpapers; left side paginiation. Front flyleaf has library stamp and cancellation mark, rear flyleaf has Exlibris. Pre-title and first pages have some repairs to edges (pages partly rounded), last pages also show sign of minor repairs to edges. Additional leaf p. 589/90 as usual when present, paper cut non-uniformly. New endpapers; pagination running from left to right. Front flyleaf has library stamp and cancellation mark, rear flyleaf has Exlibris. Half-title and first pages have some repairs to edges (pages partly rounded), last pages also show sign of minor repairs to edges. VD 16, R 1252; Benzing (Reuchlin) 90; Steinschneider / HB 1670; Alberts 29; Adams R 383; BMSTC (German Books) 732; Knaake I, 920.
Euro7500
This item is listed on Bibliopoly by Antiquariat Büchel-Baur; click here for further details.