Nevi’im Achronim [Yishayahu, Yirmiyahu, Yechezkel, Trei Asar], including commentary by Rabbi David Kimchi – Radak. Soncino, [1486]. First edition. [Yehoshua Shlomo son of Yisrael Natan Soncino Press].
Printed in two columns, the text in square letters without vowel symbols and cantillation notes, and the commentary in Rashi script letters.
The opening words of each book were not printed and a blank space remains, in order to leave room to fill in the missing words in handwriting and with ornamentation. In this copy the words were filled in in fine handwriting in the majority of the spaces.
Various handwritten notations by a number of writers. On the blank page preceding Sefer Yishayahu, lengthy notation [faded and incomplete] in Yemenite handwriting. Symbols of Haftarot for various occasions upon leaf margins [some are cut off], version corrections and word vowelization. On blank page preceding Sefer Yechezkel symbol of the publisher Menasheh Ben Yisrael, along with the verse “Emet Me’eretz Titzmach”.
Members of the Soncino family were among the most prominent Hebrew printers in the 15th and 16th hundreds, They established their first printing press in the city of Soncino in Italy in approximately the year 1483, and ever since wandered with their printing equipment throughout Italy, while residing in various cities and involved in the printing of books. In their first decade of activity, the Soncino members were the first who printed tractates of the Talmud and the pioneer printers of the Holy Scriptures in their entirety. This is the first edition in which the Nevi’im Achronim books were printed, and the first time in which the Radak commentary was printed along with the text. The majority of the Bible editions after this edition were not printed by Jews.
[1] Yishayahu: Pamphlets 1-11 containing 8 leaves (88 leaves). Part of the first page is missing and professionally restored, with accurate reconstruction of the damaged text [the poem at the head of the page is entirely reconstructed]. [2] Yirmiyahu: Pamphlets 1-7 containing 8 leaves, pamphlet 8 contains 10 leaves (66 leaves). [3] Yechezkel: Pamphlets 1-8 containing 8 leaves, pamphlet 9 contains 5 leaves [one blank leaf missing at end of pamphlet] (69 leaves). [4] Trei Asar: Pamphlets 1-8 containing 8 leaves, pamphlet 9 contains 6 leaves (70 leaves). The first and last pages of each book are blank [except for Sefer Yechezkel, in which only the first page is blank].
Good condition. Thick high quality paper. Majority of leaves are clean and in fine condition, some are stained, omissions which were professionally restored, including reconstruction of text where damaged. Handwritten notations, few faded censorship erasures [writing appears underneath]. Magnificent leather binding.