Sefer Uklidus (Euclid's Elements of Geometry), The Hague: Soesmanns & Munnikhuizen, 1780

56 leaves + 3 folding engraved plates (7 1/2 x 5 3/4 in.; 192 x 145 mm). Owners' inscription to titlepage, within typographical border; some marginal dampstaining; a few minor tears and edge wear to folding engraved plates, mostly closed and with no significant loss. Twentieth century half calf over marbled boards with two blind tooled leather lettering pieces on spine. Housed in cloth and leather clamshell box.

 

A rare first edition of Euclid's Elements in Hebrew, an important milestone in the printing of scientific texts in the Hebrew language, translated by Barukh Schick of Shklov, a rabbinic scholar of mathematics and natural sciences. In February 1778, Schick met with Rabbi Elijah of Vilna, better known as the Vilna Gaon. Schick reports in his introduction, that the Gaon urged him to translate scientific works into Hebrew, stating that “for every deficiency of knowledge a man has in the sciences [ḥokhmah], he will have ten deficiencies of knowledge in the science of the Torah. For Torah and science are closely related.” These words were widely cited by Maskilim in the 19th century as rabbinic endorsement of scientific study.

LITERATURE:
Vinograd, Hague 11