Babylonian Talmud, Venice: Daniel Bomberg, Tractate Avodah Zara, 1520, bound with Tractates Horayot and 'Eduyyot, 1521

Avoda Zara: 97 of 98 leaves (12 ¾ x 9 in.; 325 x 230 mm), lacking only the title page. Woodcut initial word panel. Leaves strengthened at gutter. Tape repairs to holes and tears, ocassionally affecting text. stained; marginal notes. Horayot: 18 leaves Pen trial on title page. Leaves strengthened at gutter. Very lightly stained. 'Eduyyot: 8 leaves (12 ¾ x 9 in.; 325 x 230 mm). Minor tear to title page. Leaves strengthened at gutter. final leaf with tape repair, touching some text. Additional 6 leaves of commentary of Ra'avad from 1530 edition. With losses and tape repairs. Later three quarter cloth over paper.

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Avodah Zarah (Idolatrous Worship) is included in the order of Nezikin, since it is associated with the tractates Sanhedrin and Makkot, which also refer to laws on idolatry. The tractate contains a large percentage of aggadic material as well as important historical material concerning the relations between Jews and non-Jews. It conveys information on a variety of religions including Christianity, Gnosticism and Zoroastrianism. In light of the often troubled relations with non-Jewish authorities, copies of this tractate, subject as they often were to heightened scrutiny and censorship, have always been particularly scarce.

Horayot (Rulings), is a rather short tractate in three chapters, attached to the order of Nezikin, whose scriptural basis may be found in Leviticus ch. 4 and Numbers ch. 15. Those biblical sections deal with "sinning through error," and the Talmud extrapolates to discuss erroneous rulings by the high priest or the high court (Sanhedrin), leading to the inadvertent violation of precepts, which, if willfully transgressed, would have been deserving of karet. The Gemara of the Jerusalem Talmud to Horayot was appended to the Babylonian tractate by Bomberg because he found no tosafot to this tractate and the Jerusalem Gemara took its place on the page. For centuries, Bomberg's edition represented the authoritative version of this tractate.

'Eduyyot' (Testimonies). 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.

(Vinograd, Venice 29, 41, 48; Habermann 25, 42, 43.)