Kirchliche Verfassung der heutigen Juden, sonderlich derer in Deutschland, by Johann Christian Georg Bodenschatz. Frankfurt and Leipzig, 1748-1749. Four parts in one volume. German. First edition.
Book by the German theologian Johann Christian Bodenschatz (1717-1797) on the Jewish religion and its customs, particularly the customs of Ashkenazi Jewry. The book contains precise and objective descriptions of Jewish customs during the author's time, constituting an important source of information on Jewish history in the 18th century.
Alongside Bodenschatz's study, the book contains twenty-nine engraved plates and an additional engraving facing the title page. The engravings mostly show the customs and ways of life of the Jews in Germany: the Kiddush Levana (Sanctification of the Moon), synagogue prayers, 9th of Av, lighting Hanukkah candles, and more.
[14], 206 [2], 328, 331-386 [i. e. 384], [16], 256, 270, [36] pp + [30] plates, 21.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Slight defects. Bookplate on inner side of front binding and ink inscriptions on the front free endpaper. Binding with vellum spine and corners, somewhat damaged.

Executio Rebellium Francofurti Ad Maenum. Engraving depicting the execution of Vinzenz Fettmilch in Frankfurt am Main. [Germany, 17th century].
Engraving depicting the execution of Vinzenz Fettmilch in 1616.
In 1614, Vinzenz Fettmilch, a German baker from Frankfurt am Main, led the uprising of the guilds against his city's institutions. The uprising developed into a raid of the Jewish quarter, in the course of which Jewish homes were looted. As a result, the Jews were forced to leave the city. After the intervention of Emperor Matthias, Fettmilch was imprisoned, and in February 1616 he was executed in one of the city's squares. The Jews of Frankurt am Main were allowed to return to their homes, and the day of their return was declared a holiday called the "Frankfurt Purim" or "Vinz Purim".
Engraving: 25X34 cm. Fair condition. No margins (margins cut). Mounted on cardboard with two pieces of adhesive paper on upper margins. Some stains. Some open tears, with damage to engraving, repaired with paper pasting. Handwritten inscription on top margin.

Die durch den Jüdischen Betrug und Geitz-Teufel ausgeübte entsetzliche Morddthat. A single leaf and an engraving, depicting the execution of the Jew Mayer Moses von Grumbach in 1741. Printed by Elias Back, Augsburg, [18th century]. German.
An engraving portraying the execution of the Jew Mayer Moses von Grumbach following a charge that he murdered the Governing Mayor of Heidleberg, Friederich Bleichard Gabel (see previous item). Enclosed is a leaf with a German text (seems as if both were printed together).
Engraving: 27.5X17 cm. Leaf: approx. 27.5X20 cm. Margins of engraving and leaf are trimmed. Good overall condition. Slight defects. Tear at margins of text-leaf, reinforced with adhesive tape. Pasting marks and ink-stamp on the back of the text-leaf.

"The Jewess", a colorful print. Published by Carl Hellriegel, Berlin, [late 19th or early 20th century].
A print portraying the end of the fifth act of the tragic opera "The Jewess" (La Juive) in which Eléazar and Rachel are brought to the gallows where they will be thrown into a cauldron of boiling water. A caption appears on the lower part of the print: "Rachel is held by the executioner to be thrown into the fire; she and the Jew Elazar the goldsmith, considered to be her father, according to the verdict by Cardinal Brogni who, in fact, is her father" (Hebrew).
The opera was first performed in 1835. Jacques-Fromental-Halévy attained his major fame through this opera.
50.5X39 cm. Good condition. Wear and pinholes at margins. Tear at left margin. Fragile paper.

Deck of anti-religious playing cards. [Soviet Union, ca. 1930].
A deck of playing cards printed in the Soviet Union as part of the propaganda promoting atheism. The prince, queen and king cards in this deck represent four different religions - Judaism, Catholic Christianity, Orthodox (Pravoslav) Christianity and Buddhism. The illustrations on these cards were meant to show the "hypocrisy" of the four religions and they depict religious figures, on background of images that represent their thoughts or real occupations (for example, on the king of diamond appears an illustration of a praying Jew, and in the background appear money bills and coins). The illustrations on the Aces in this deck present churches and a synagogue vis-à-vis modern buildings in the Soviet Union, and other images related to religion and atheism. On the Joker card appears an illustration of a winged capitalist, wearing a top hat, pulling the strings which lead to four marionettes representing the four religions.
The illustrations were created by S. D. Levashov (С. Д. Левашов). The cards were printed in several versions during the 1930s and were meant for distribution outside the Soviet Union.
53 cards, approx. 6X9 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Some cards are rubbed and torn. Some cards are in poor condition.