Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Eduyyot, Venice: Daniel Bomberg, 1521

17 [1,7, 9] leavesFolio (13 7/8 x 9 in.; 352 x 228 mm). collation: 1^{8, 29. Woodcut initials; some dampstaining and marginal soiling, some worm punctures touching a few letters. Half vellum.}

Jacob ben Aharon—his signature on title page; Simon ben Herz Wetter-his inscription on title page; Menahem Manes ben Jacob David ha-Kohen of Lennestadt borrowed the book from the aforementioned Simon, while serving as a teacher in Kaladin, on Sep 15 1675.  All three locations are in Hesse.

Vinograd, Venice 48; Haberman 43. Neither records the commentary of Rabad; Steinschneider, 1638

Unlike other tractates, which usually deal with a particular subject, Eduyyot ("Testimonies"), is a collection of a laws on a wide variety of topics. Its title reflects the purpose of the collection: to put on record the "testimonies" given by later sages on the halakhic pronouncements and controversies of earlier authorities. Thus, the phrase "rabbi so-and-so testified" (he'id) frequently occurs, especially in the later chapters. The fact that the correctness of the respective halakhic traditions were established before a court and consequently designated as "testimonies," may also explain why this tractate was included in the order Nezikin, which to a large extent treats of law and procedure. Included in this copy are the exceedingly scarce, separately signed, nine folios containing the commentary of Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posqueires (Rabad), not recorded by Habermann or Vinograd. The Westminster Abbey copy is known to be complete. (See David Goldstein, "Hebrew Printed Books in the Library of Westminster Abbey" in Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England, XXVII (London:1982), p. 154 n.7.)
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Unlike other tractates, which usually deal with a particular subject, 'Eduyyot (Testimonies), is a collection of a laws on a wide variety of topics.  Its title reflects the purpose of the collection: to put on record the "testimonies" given by later sages on the halakhic pronouncements and controversies of earlier authorities. Thus, the phrase "rabbi so-and-so testified" (he'id) frequently occurs, especially in the later chapters. The fact that the correctness of the respective halakhic traditions were established before a court and consequently designated as "testimonies," may also explain why this tractate was included in the order Nezikin, which to a large extent treats of law and procedure.

Included in this copy are the exceedingly scarce, separately signed, nine folios containing the commentary of Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posqueires (Rabad), not recorded by Habermann or Vinograd. The British Library and Westminster Abbey copies are known to be complete. (See David Goldstein, "Hebrew Printed Books in the Library of Westminster Abbey" in Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England, XXVII (London:1982), p. 154 n.7.)