Masekhet Pesaḥim
Unknown author
Masekhet Pesaḥim (Tractate Passovers)
Venice: Daniyel Bombergi me-Anṿerśah, 1519
Daniyel Bombergi (ca. 1483–ca. 1549), alternatively spelled Daniel Bomberg, must be credited as one of the most influential early Hebrew printers. Despite not being Jewish, he employed many skilled Jews in the production of highly authoritative editions of the essential rabbinical works that set standards for generations to come. Born in Antwerp, Bomberg moved to Venice to pursue a career in trade. There he became interested in the production of Hebrew books thanks to the influence of his friend, a Christian convert from Judaism, and quickly discovered a huge demand for accurate and quality editions in this field.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Venice was an intellectual and business hub with a large Jewish population made to reside in a ghetto and deprived of many rights, including establishing printing houses. Bomberg received an exclusive license from Pope Leo X in 1518 to print the whole Babylonian Talmud, his future monumental masterpiece edition. The first volume, Masekhet Pesaḥim, which discussed Passover holidays, was produced in 1519 and is considered exceedingly rare.
The title pages of Bomberg’s editions include no decorations, and instead could be easily recognized by their simplicity and lettering style. The first pages of the actual text, however, always feature the initial word enlarged and adorned with a woodcut floral ornament. Here you see the first page of Masekhet Pesaḥim with the stylized word Or (light), which begins the text about the search for leavened bread during preparation for Passover.
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries.