Rare Hebrew Books,
Including Six Incunabula
From the Collection of the late
Dr. Michael D. Paul of
St. John’s, Newfoundland.
* With a Fine Isidor Kaufmann Portrait Painting.
Montreal born Dr. Michael David Paul (1954-2024) was a respected professor of medicine specializing in nephrology who devoted himself to the citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador for more than forty years.
Alongside his teaching and medical practice, Dr. Paul served as the long-time President of the small Jewish community of St. John’s. His many interests included travel, philanthropy, but especially book-collecting - alongside related study and research.
Of all the many clients I have been privileged to know in my forty year book career, Dr. Paul was among the most learned and certainly the most interesting.
May his soul receive its eternal reward and may his memory forever be blessed.
DEK
Spring, 2025.
* Most of the books offered here from Dr. Paul’s library, contain his small embossed stamp, generally affixed to the title-page.
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LOT 31:
(BIBLE). A Fine ...
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Sold for: $85,000
Price including buyer’s premium:
$
106,250
Start price:
$
35,000
Estimate :
$40,000 - $60,000
Buyer's Premium: 25%
sales tax: 8.875%
On the lot's price and buyer's premium
Users from foreign countries may be exempted from tax payments, according to the relevant tax regulations
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(BIBLE).
A Fine Complete Set. Four volumes bound in 17th century uniform full vellum.
Venice, Daniel Bomberg, 1524-5.
Edited by Jacob b. Chaim of Tunis. With Targum Onkelus and commentary by Rashi, ibn Ezra, Kimchi, Targum, etc. Complete in four volumes. Each with title within architectural arch, initial letters within elaborate woodcut border. Divisional half-titles. Including all blank leaves.
* Vol. I: ff. 234 (four early leaves misbound, as most copies).
* Vol. II: ff. 209.
* Vol. III: ff. 211. Includes Italian ownership inscription: "Vercelli (Piedmont), 1801."
* Vol. IV: ff. 297.
Minimal wear in places, few small marginal worm tracings, title page of Vol. III worn and laid down. Folio. Light wear to bindings, otherwise an excellent set.
Vinograd, Venice 99; Darlow & Moule 5085.
The Second Mikra’oth Gedoloth (Biblia Rabbinica).
The first Rabbinic Bible to present the Masorah. The text of this edition became the standard Masoretic text for all subsequent editions.
The first Biblia Rabbinica, printed by Bomberg in 1516-7 was edited by the apostate Jew Felix Pratensis and contained the imprimatur of the Pope. Bomberg soon realized that these two facts marginalized such a Tanach from the Jewish market. He therefore employed Ya’akov b. Chaim ibn Adonijah, newly arrived in Venice (after being driven out of Spain and then Tunis), as editor of a second Biblia Rabbinica.
Meticulous and knowledgeable, the Jewish editor went to great lengths to secure as many Masoretic codices as possible. Hence, for the first time, a printed Hebrew Bible with a marginal Masorah was issued, which, as hoped by Bomberg, was received with acclaim by the Jewish market.
Thus, this Bible may be said to be the first Jewish Rabbinic Bible.
See D. S. Berkowitz, In Remembrance of Creation (1968) no. 166.
A Fine, Wide-Margined Set.
