Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Schoole der Jooden, Begrÿpende het gehele Joodsche Geloof; Reeden-Strijdt, of Geloofs-Kamp, Tusschen een Jood en een Christen. By forme van Vraagen en Antwoorden gesteld

Leyden: Hendrik van Damme, 1702. First edition with Jan Luyken's engravings. Hardcover. 24mo. [16], 522, 31, [1]pp. Modern half leather over marbled paper covered boards, with gold lettering on spine. Raised bands. Modern endpapers and fly leaves. Additional engraved title depicting a series of engravings. The larger one shows Moses with the tablets dictating the Torah to a scribe writing on a scroll, while a boy holds on to the end of the scroll. The three smaller engravings at the bottom have Abraham sacrificing Isaac, King David with his harp and a horned Moses with the tablets. Title-page with engraved printer's device showing a man working the soil with the Holy Spirit shining over him. Decorated initials and tailpiece. First published in German in 1603, Johannes Buxtorf's “Jewish Synagogue” is a guide to Jewish thought, culture and ritual observances. Buxtorf goes through Jewish daily practices such as the wearing of phylacteries, reciting prayers and the keeping of kosher as well as Jewish holidays such as the Sabbath, New Moon, High Holidays, Tabernacles, Passover and Purim. The work transliterates many Hebrew and Aramaic terms and offers translations of two Sabbath hymns. Buxtorf also gives a history of Jewish thought from biblical times to his day. In terms of sources, Buxtorf quoted extensively from the Old Testament and New Testaments, but also used classic rabbinic sources such as the Talmud and Midrashim as well as medieval and early modern sources such as Isaac Alfasi, Solomon Yarchi, Abraham ibn Ezra, David Kimchi, Bahya ben Asher, Judah the Pious' “Sefer Hasidim,” Isaac Aboab, Elias Levita's "Bovo-Bukh” and Joseph Kairo's "Shulchan Aruch.” Buxtorf also made use of kabbalistic explanations for various Jewish practices. Also includes a dialogue between a Jew and a Christian in which the Christian responds to the Jew's attacks on Christianity. Foreword for the Christian reader. Passage from Martin Luther on the Jews. Printed notes in the margins, giving sources and translations of terms. Four foldout copper plate engravings showing the lifting up of the Torah in a synagogue, a Passover Seder, Jews parading with palm branches and citrons during Tabernacles and a bride and groom standing under a wedding canopy. While often hostile, Buxtorf's work stands as the most scholarly early modern Christian treatment of Jews and remained the chief source for Christian information on Jews through the Enlightenment. Text in Dutch with some Latin and Hebrew. Overall in very good condition. vg. Item #30666

Title-page information: "Uit hun eige Boeken en Schriften, merendeels den Christenen onbekend, grondig met aanwijsing van yder Boek, plaats en blad, verklaard. Eertijds tot nut der Christenen beschreven door M. Joannem Buxtorfium, Opper-meester in de hebreewsche spraak, tot Bazel. Op Nieuws oversien, en met Nieuwe kopere Platen door Jan Luyken verçierd. Hier agter is bygevoegt een Rede-Strijd tusschen een Jood en een Christen, war in het Christen geloof werd verdedigt. Tot Leyden. By Daniel van den Dalen, en Hendrik van Damme, Boekverkopers 1702."

Price: $650.00