[HEBREW BIBLE] HAMISHAH HUMSHE TORAH. COMPLETE IN FOUR PARTS [TORAH, NEVI'IM RISHONIM, NEVI'IM AHARONIM, KETUVIM]. [WITH] "LUAH HA-HAFTAROT SHEL KOL HA-SHANAH KEFI KOL HA-MINHAGIM" [AT THE END OF PART 4, AS ISSUED]. WITH PERIOD MARGIN NOTES: חמשה חומשי תורה

Vitemberg [Wittenberg]: Nidpas 'im rav ha-'iyun 'al yede Zekharyah Krato [Zechariah Crato], 1587. Hardcover. 1st Edition Thus. 18th Century British Full Leather Binding with Period Spine Title, 4to, 4 parts in 1 volume: [148] + [112] + [119] + [128] leaves, with four sectional woodcut title pages within elaborately decorated architectural framework, their first appearance.

Steinschneider, M. Cat. Librorum Hebraeorum, 47, 277; Cowley, 83; VD 16; ZV 17573.

The Pentateuch with the Early and Later Prophets and Hagiographa. Pointed Hebrew with cantillation. Title and further information on colophon. Some opening words have woodcut decorated frames. The title page designs were so impressive that they were used again in later editions such as the Frankfurt am Oder Hebrew Bible of 1595.
With extensive scholarly notations in Latin in a 17th Century hand to margins and blank rectos of well over 400 pages. Signatures in Arabic and Roman numerals: Pts. 1-2. 1-654 (334 blank, 654 verso blank) -- pt. 3. 1-304 (303 verso blank, 304 blank) -- pt. 4. 1-324 (11 verso blank, 324 verso blank). Haftarot and Pesukim are recorded in the margins.

Place of printing from colophon, which is on verso of last leaf: "Nidpas be-mitsvat Yohanan u-Khonrad Ruihl ha-ahim."

SUBJECT(S): Bible. Hebrew -- Versions. Haftarot. OCLC: 123017672. OCLC-Worldcat lists 8 copies worldwide (HUC, Yale, Cambridge, Edinburgh Univ, Oxford, British Lib, NLI, Bar Ilan), with only two in the US.

Eight leaves missing (91-104). In the final volume, Ketuvim, four leaves show a touch of outer margin loss, with an additional seven leaves showing substantial margin loss but touching only a letter or two of text. Thirteen leaves show enough margin loss that text is affected though never more than the outer portion of the top six lines of any leaf. Three leaves with margin notes are affected.

Margin notes predate the 18th century binding and in many cases appear to have suffered some loss with trimming and rebinding in the 18th Century. 16th Century rag paper and internal binding remain very nice. Beautiful 18th Century British binding with distinctive period leather spine label and armorial bookplate on front pastedown remain outstanding. Very Good Condition thus. No copies appearing at auction in the last 25 years.

Rare and important, with significant period marginalia. (KH-10-7).