Avicenna (Abu ‘Ali al-Husain ibn Sina), Kanon Ha-gadol. (Canon of Medicine) Translated from Arabic into Hebrew by Joseph ben Joshua Lorki and Nathan ben Eliezer ha-Meati Naples: Azriel ben Joseph Ashkenazi Gunzenhauser, 9th November, 1491 [-1492?]

Bound in 5 vols. Folio, manuscript annotations in various early hands, 475 folios of 480, vol. 1: 69 folios (of 70, lacking final blank), folios mounted with some worming, vol. 2: 75 folios (of 76, lacking folio 46) some damp-staining in upper borders, vol. 3: 192 folios (of 194 the first and final blank are lacking) the first 34 folios cropped and mounted with no loss of text, vol. 4: 96 folios, vol. 5: 43 folios (of 44, lacking first blank), folios 39-43 mounted and 40-42 out of order, early marginal notes in Hebrew and Latin, made-up copy with numerous leaves supplied from various other copies, modern bindings, volumes housed in leather slipcase

Goff Heb  4, Offenberg 6, Steinschneider 4486.1, Zedner 293

THE FIRST MEDICAL BOOK PRINTED IN HEBREW.

This monumental encyclopedia of medicine was written in the 11^th century by the Moslem physician and philosopher, Abu ‘Ali al-Husain ibn Sina (Avicenna in Latin, 980-1037). The work is divided into five books and includes an in-depth overview of the human body, the causes and treatments of diseases and pharmacology.  Nathan ha-Meati translated books 2-5 into Hebrew in 1279; book 1 was translated by Joseph Lorki in 1408. The present volume is the first and only edition printed in Hebrew. Volume 1, folio 12r features an explanatory drawing depicting the shapes of bones. 

In 1487, Joseph Gunzenhauser pioneered the first Hebrew press in Naples. Over the course of the next five years, he and his son Azriel published 13 books. The Kanon Ha-Gadol, a compendium of medical knowledge, is without doubt one of the most outstanding contributions to the history of Hebrew printing.