1518 Columna (Petrus Galatinus) De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis HEBREW VERY RARE

  
The first edition of an incredibly rare and important book (see below). Contains Hebrew text as well as Latin. 310(1) (13 pages with beautiful woodcut borders throughout including title page). Overall in excellent condition for its age. Contemporary vellum binding is tight with handwritten title on spine, some interesting writing on the text block too; worming throughout (though generally not impacting legibility of text), endpapers renewed, some staining. Otherwise pages are clean and bright. Folio, 29.8 x 21.2 cm. Lacks 2 leaves CCCVIII (this has been replaced with a leaf from a later edition, likely 16th or 17th century, as seen in the photos), and CCCXI.

The colophon leaf is present and can be seen in the photos. For more information, photos, questions or offers, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Some information from Sotheby's on the book.

THE FIRST BOOK PRINTED IN ORTONA WITH HEBREW TYPE. Pietro Columna Galatinus, an Italian Christian theologian, Hebraist and Kabbalist, was one of those who supported Johannes Reuchlin in his attempts to silence Johannes Pfefferkorn, an apostate Jew who agitated for the confiscation of the Talmud and other Jewish books in the beginning of the sixteenth century. De Arcanis, Galatinus's most important work, was an attempt to use Jewish sources, including the Zohar, to prove the veracity of Catholicism. While it demonstrated the utility of Jewish sources for Christian needs, and thus vindicated Reuchlin's position, it also attacked Judaism. The potential ramifications of the Reuchlin-Pfefferkorn controversy, and Galatinus's stated desire in De Arcanis to see the Talmud published (Bomberg had not yet begun to publish his pioneering edition), may have been what caused its Jewish printer, Gershom Socinco, to overlook the book's anti-Jewish content when agreeing to print it.

De Arcanis is one of just four books that Gershom Soncino printed during his short sojourn in Ortona. The Latin text of De Arcanis contains many Hebrew quotes. Indeed it was the first book printed in Ortona with Hebrew type.