-
Library of Congress Marks Semi-Millennium of Hebrew Typography
(Continued from Page 1)
(Sated, 1577). Though the centu-
ries have taken their toll, it is
still possible to detect in several
of the volumes exhibited the keen
esthetic sensibilities of the print-
ers who strove to produce a
pleasing product in what they
called their "holy. labor."
The most celebrated of eariy
Hebrew printers were members of
a German-Jewish family that had
settled in the North Italian town of
Soncino, from which they derived
their surname. In 1483 they com-
pleted their first productions, and
in the next 80 years. the Soncino
imprint was to appear on a large
number of important publications
in a succession of Italian and Near
Eastern cities. Of the Soncinos,
Gershom (or .Hieronymus) was
,ithout doubt the most talented
and prolific. For beauty of types
and harmony of design his books
have few equals among early pro-
ductions, In the course of a long
and difficult career—he is the only
Hebrew printer active in both the
15th and 16th centuries — he
achieved renown in the non-Jewish
world as well. As a printer of some
100 Latin, Italian and Greek works
his name is also significant in the
cultural history of the Renaissance.
Shown here are books printed by
this family.
The Book of Psalms with the
commentary of David Kimhi, ca.
1160 - ea. 1235, alternating text and
commentary, represents so far as
is known the first appearance in
print of any part of the Hebrew
Bible. Only in the initial Psalms
have the vowel signs been pro-
vided by the printers. The com-
mentary is set in types repro-
ducing a Ilebrew cursive character
of Italian provenance, a type face
that was soon to be abandoned in
Hebrew typography. The colophon
indicates that 300 copies were
printed, a somewhat smaller run
than what is believed to be the
over-all incunable average (500).
This is one of the very few early
Hebrew books in which any infor-
mation is supplied on the size of
the edition.
The printer's device, which is
essentially a trade mark employed
to distinguish the products of a
given press, makes an initial —
though unpretentious—appearance
in Hebrew books already in the
15th Century. In the following
century some devices with spe-
cifically Jewish motifs are en-
countered: hands upraised in
priestly blessing, seven-branched
candelabrum or Menora, Temple,
etc. The devices develop strong
pictorial elements as they come
to serve also as book ornaments.
A major factor in the suppression
and mutilation of early Hebrew
books was the operation of church
censorship. One of the least severe
— and most bizarre —forms this
censorship took was the seizure or
forced submission of books already
41 circulation for review and ex-
purgation. That a volume had been
printed with an imprimatur or had
been expurgated at some other
time or place was no absolute
guaranty against further scrutiny,
and not a few Hebrew books which
passed the 16th to 18th centuries
in Italy show a succession of
censors' signatures. The usual
procedure of the censor was to
blot out objectionable words or
passages with ink. Occasionally
pages were torn out. Anything run-
ning afoul of Church doctrine as
interpreted by the censor or in-
quisitor might be excised, but in-
consistency was rife. Ironically, in
some of the expurgated works the
ink has faded over the centuries
permitting the expunged text to be
easily read.
Editor's note: The Hebraic col-
lection in the Library of Congress,
is the largest collection of Hebrai-
ca, Judaica and Sernitica ever as-
sembled under government aus-
pices and one of the most distin-
guished and extensive in the world.
It numbers over 86,000 volumes
in Hebrew and Yiddish. Ladino,
Aramaic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Cunei-
form, etc. Its value for research
is enhanced by some 205,000 titles
in western languages. These re-
late to Jews and Judaism and to
all phases of Hebraic. Semitic, and
Biblical history and archeology,
literature, Mediterranean civiliza-
tion, to contemporary life and let-
ters in Israel, etc.
It is directed by Dr. Laurrence
Marzsick, distinguished Hebraist
and Arabist. In addition to direct-
ing this very prestigious collection
and supervising its magnificent
growth, Dr. Marwick is professor
of Arabic and Islamic studies and
lectures also on contemporary Is-
raeli literature. Among his scholar-
ly publications is a "Handbook of
Diplomatic Hebrew."
THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS
28—Friday, June 12, 1970
A BEAUTIFUL
CARPET
AND
FURNITURE CLEANING
Satisfaction guaranteed —
Mothproofing free. Wall-to-
wall carpet cleaning. Dries
in 4 to 6 hours. Five cents
a square foot, minimum $15.
542-4735
POPPICIrril
AP) ef'317315 Ining
;110 big w3IP wrI1P17.3F nipt= eirnr0;
;90r; 1:3 Por ry= =my, ttrinith rfit9 ).9.1
;19117 ru-n1Jr) rim ;713 rlug nr;
inT,PJltn9 Parr
trilr riPP rviR4 rvrr r p pm-slyo
Iruclips -mg if irtx u, J•30
ry 5r otroltypr Op.123 rony=a4 • Invur
rg, tsm 114 "PM Mr 0.1723m= c;y1
evo "us; topul.v3;3113 • w) - 13 , 61?
'OP muol pRilr torntlyilm • elY;13t7
'•Nrul vrroltinn.l•ry to • ens.*
• '09317cv rpnihlroll jinsi vert
61,2)01=1 P;pr Tr; 13=;43 enurIrrl
.4 inen ?JP nrri
'12.3PriPPi 71
&VS, heirf1 3-AEJ ;two rev izn
trio") DIO'' 010 ' 9
rs'Ati rPum
_I
;1 5 1:19.,wrthr -Au tsymir; = pur 0,13;
jippr;?) um rim • mcr will fir? (117193
mr) 0=179 =;91c. or Pm 1103 -Irr r;Jki
tr.93/0,1rliwiri c, • 11133 Irmo,
rum irl-a lc nor Li] ;VP P011 Opp
b.Ins ,Iwnsi
=:4 rts; tyl
rim " ;hp
1 110373 • Ivy= )9.91r) rurr rtn, tni9 •JP
ep 672 6-‘33 pm, imp rim rorr IDP
le r) lit Am' mir
12,1911,r:13
ny=v519.3r1.3
Emr.r 7ri1 uri
v91Prz tr•yr isfoirm
iv, or3
isp=in, WPM 411.1inliG MI5 I'llr PPP,
L- 961P Min furp rumtlo 11
0,75ry)
tsi r30 'w.m; ;yr raw
Olt) irtii 71 _10
bri )7) pm or)
;by,' prry; trip; = wsr J'13 171y31
ioniz tiln)T9
yonli;
Oqi
otr313 ism twur; 7yr rpri1P', L I/
101 Yl M.Pr 131 ,611,P3G1 0'314 1 113
Przir, relit 1,3 rt.; my= twrnir
sin Ltv 7=e eui
1.91,;9 7115rni
PpIliVir61
rirtsvP qprrywo
ttrui el; 'an • 67ytr mr 5 rirm onn
r1G TIIS r11a trplp
"WIT.311343 '
we) evp vc cyr ► r7 I ',PI
i rilr3G MP) "II IG
(101 MC OM
117313G
IVA
David ben Joseph Abudarham, Perush ha-Berakhot veha-Tefilot. Fez, 1516. So far as is known, the
"Abudarham"—a commentary on the Jewish ritual and calendar—is the very first book to have been
_printed on the African continent.
•
`File on Buchta', New Contemporary Novel by Irvm Faust
Contemporary America is por-
trayed in the new novel by Irvin
-Faust, "The File on Stanley Pat-
ton Buchta," published by Random
House.
The social problems of the age,
the conflicts in current thoughts,
the left-wingers—every conceivable
idea of concern is reflected in this ago as public usage, the liberty-
taking in love making, etc.
smooth-running story.
And like the other contemporary As a story that holds the read-
writers his work does not lack the er's attention, Faust's new work,
like his previous ones ("Roar Lion
freedoms claimed for contempo- Roar" and "The Steagle") seems
rary literature — the short words certain to draw a large reading
that were forbidden not so long public.
120 S. MAIN
LI 1-6820
SERVING ONLY
PRIME AND
CHOICE MEATS
SINGER'S
11,03 t“))3fT 1)611 60113.11rd
mr; • •Nris 1r3Fm1 "Tv 01'0 ;13PY)
enrit= owl. 1= urn Pr) 71P, r9 i?ir1
-pi
14)I'3 OA) ;Iraq= eviro rr
ir "IP/ IVO • Pni PPPOlirtli VG G/I 4
isr PlIr3 rvrtir i; rmcri
•
11 .41 *IVA t"15rTilnr1 114 r913
•yrr) =
untsilcri 1313 rpro1PY;
7rt4
mins
"Rs
Nvlsw.re=
Itn; 133 ,21r
- orvriuliturri ryrarti rani tn79IP
P6
11,01
•
•r1
-vc3,3
min
031
rrri
. 1)0 /P93 icy rormi Lrl
934P
tOvl
•
;•;rJ
oil
la;
rimt=
wr1KrJ
e=ri
t=r71. 33 rim ea7P L13 ;113;
nr
mpyo umr 631rc rr,r7 • rpm' bpurr pm troy) triv2) 0/5)1 PP en 0"15)1 0
plks")) =mrrrY)
todrul inttru
Psi 66) • 1?93r1
P , G5 riX rlrr w
79
ROYAL OAK
K rikeli
Kosher -I v Meats
Dealer Assoc. & Poultry Mkt.
PHIL SWARIN
13721 W. 9 MILE at RIDGEDALE
LI 7-8111
WE DELIVER
We Might Be Out of Sight . . . But
DON'T PUT US OUT OF MIND! !
BEST PRICE — BEST QUALITY !
KOSHER TRAY CATERING
AND CHICKEN DINNERS
FOR CONFIRMATIONS AND GRADUATION PARTIES!!
OR BRISS, PIDYON HA-BEN OR REHEARSAL PARTIES!
•
•
•
• • •• • • ••••
I NCIO
NUTRI-FOODS
FOR EVERY DIETARY NEED
NATURAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS
rmi n-mmiliTirrinirm inu
n' I-'!rvt7Dr1
Roasted Whole Chicken or Turkey with Stuffing, Potatoes and Gravy
Cheese Blintzes • Tasty Delicious Kishka • Fresh Knishes Daily
Chopped Liver • Chopped Herring • Dill Pickles • Hors D'Oeuvres
GRUNT'S MARKET
18252 WYOMING near CURTIS
moo
NEW
PHONE
NUMBER
341-5512
We Deliver in Southfield
DRAPERY STORAGE
Let your home have that cool appearance for the sum-
mer. We can store all your draperies in our special
storage facilities. We will deliver them back in the
fall with that renewed look.
Remember—We Are Specialists In
Fine Drapery Cleaning
IT'S
EASY TO REMEMBER OUR PHONE NUMBER
TWINBROOK ONE EIGHTEEN EIGHTEEN
Custom Drapery Cleaners
TW 1-1 8 1 8
SUBURBAN CALL COLLECT DIAL OPERATOR
Ask for ENTERPRISE 7818 or reverse charges