Treasures of Early Jewish Book Printing

This section invites you to explore the Dorot Jewish Division’s extraordinary collection of early Jewish book printing. It includes the earliest known Jewish incunabula, published in the 1460s–70s following the invention of movable printing press type around 1455, and extends through the first half of the 18th century.  

The items in this section include examples of remarkable artistry and exceptional historical importance. They include foundational and canonical works of traditional Jewish literature, works that established textual standards and types of ornamentation and illustrations that would influence future publications.

Selections include five incunabula, books published in Italy before 1501 (a selection of the 40 volumes from this earliest period in the division’s collection); the first printed volume of the famous Bomberg’s edition of the Talmud, dated 1519–20; two rare and lavishly illustrated Haggadot from Venice (1609) and Amsterdam (1695); as well as the earliest book printed in Ladino from 1564. Additional examples include an elaborate silver-bound book intended to be a wedding gift in Italy, a book written by a scholar born into the famous Marrano family of Portugal, a miniature prayer book that belonged to a descendant of an important Algerian Jewish family, and a fascinating example of an early scientific book in Hebrew script.