Babylonian Talmud, Seder Zera'im, Constantinople: Solomon and Joseph Jabez, [1584]

86 leaves (14 x 9 in.;360 x 235 mm). collation: 1-21^{4, 222=86 leaves, printer's ornaments on title; water-stained, worm-tracks in some margins, last leaf mended in upper margin. Old brown cloth, gold-stamped leather title label on spine; rubbed.}

Vinograd, Constantinople 285; Ya'ari, Constantinople 206; Mehlman 151a

86 leaves (14 x 9 in.;360 x 235 mm). Collation: 1-214, 222=86 leaves, printer's ornaments on title; water-stained, worm-tracks in some margins, last leaf mended in upper margin. Old brown cloth, gold-stamped leather title label on spine; rubbed.
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.

Cognizant of the dearth of Talmud tractates in circulation subsequent to the burning of the Talmud in Italy in 1553, the brothers Joseph and Solomon Jabez undertook the publication of a new edition. At least sixteen tractates were printed in addition to Seder Zera'im. The model for this edition was the first edition of the Talmud printed by Daniel Bomberg between 1519-1523, as evidenced by the layout of the pages, which mirrors the Bomberg edition nearly exactly, albeit with the inclusion of the marginal cross-references to other tractates, an innovation first introduced in the Giustiniani edition of 1545-1551.

To defray the costs of printing, the Talmud was published by sections which were distributed weekly to subscribers who obligated themselves to acquire the complete edition. In their introduction to the first tractate, the Jabez brothers describe the manner of sale: "Every Shabbat we brought [the purchasers] sections of the Talmud, and distributed them . . . the sections were paid for [during the following week], in a manner that will enable, with the help of God, everyone to have a Talmud within a short time, paid for little by little in an easy manner that is not burdensome. . . . We estimate, according to the number of pages in older editions of the Talmud, that the entire sum will be twenty-five florins." This description of the distribution process marks the first internal notation of price within a Hebrew book; it also serves to explain the scarcity of complete copies of this edition.