Sepher Tehillim. With commentary by Solomon ben Shem Tov Atthia

(BIBLE. PSALMS)

Cornelio Adelkind for Marco Antonio Giustiniani

Venice

1549

FIRST EDITION, Title within ornate architectural arch. Scattered marginalia in an Italian Sephardic hand

Vinograd Vence 381; Habermann, Adelkind 53; St. Cat. Bodl. 130

The commentary combines a variety of approaches including Peshat - with an emphasis explaining how each verse logically follows the previous verse, as well as kabbalistic interpretations “as certain chapters cannot be interpreted in any other fashion”. The initial Introduction is of great historic interest. It enumerates two generations of nearly 70 scholars and rabbinic leaders that the author had visited or studied with. Includes personages from cities in Greece (Saloniki, Patras); Turkey (Adrianpole, Bursa, Constantinople); Italy (Rome, Venice, Padua, Mantua, Ancona, Verona) etc. It is interesting to note the differing honorifics the author bestows upon his teachers. For example, his master R. Levi ben Chaviv (Maharalba”ch) is entitled “Butzina Kadisha - holy light,' while R. Joseph Fassi is denoted as the ”Light of Israel in Talmud, the mighty hammer.” Athias writes a lengthy account of members of the illustrious Taitatzak Family as well as concise biographical descriptions of many others