Lot 163
  • 163

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yevamot, Venice: Daniel Bomberg, 1522

Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
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Description

Folio (13 7/8 x 9½ in.; 352 x 242 mm). collation: 1-158, 1610; 18, 26, 34=148 leaves, woodcut initial word panel; title supplied in photocopy, ff.73, 80 supplied from another copy; a few marginal mends in the first two quires, marginalia shaved, occasional marginal worming and mends, a few spots, water stains in last quire. Half vellum.

Literature

Vinograd, Venice 57; Habermann 50

Condition

Folio (13 7/8 x 9½ in.; 352 x 242 mm). collation: 1-158, 1610; 18, 26, 34=148 leaves, woodcut initial; title lacking supplied in photocopy, ff.73, 80 supplied from another copy; a few marginal mends in the first two quires, marginalia shaved, occasional marginal worming and mends, a few spots, water stains in last quire. Half vellum.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Tractate Yevamot:

Due to its length of 16 chapters, tractate Yevamot (Levirate Marriages) is placed first within the order Nashim, and is even referred to as Nashim in certain manuscripts. This alternate title may be partly warranted by the great variety of laws it contains pertaining to women, far beyond those of levirate marriage with which it primarily deals. The themes dealt with in tractate Yevamot are considered to be among the most difficult of the Talmud. One important and difficult topic is the question of the status of an agunah (lit. a chained woman), a married woman who is either unable to obtain a divorce or prove the death of her husband. The tractate also discusses questions concerning proselytization and the indispensability of circumcision and ritual bathing as part of its rite.

N.B. Both Vinograd and Habermann, mistakenly call for 150 leaves (130 leaves in the first numbered section of the book and 20 leaves in the second numbered section. As is true of several tractates in this edition where the last quire is smaller than the other quires in the tractate, the leaves of the final quire are misnumbered (here, this occurs in quire three of the second section.) This final quire of four leaves skips the folio numbers 15-16 and numbers the last four leaves as 20, 17, 20, 20. The correct number of leaves in this section is actually 18--not 20 as called for by Vinograd and Habermann. In that regard, the correct number of leaves is 148. A very few copies also include an additional, separately signed, unnumbered bifolio comprising the introduction of Jacob ben Moses ibn Abbasi and Joseph al-Fawwal (translators) to Maimonides commentary on Seder Nashim.