Iggeres Orchos Olam. Prague, 1793
The first Hebrew composition describing the New World and America! Complete with artistic illustrations!
Cosmographical description of the world by the Italian sage and scholar Rabbi Avraham Farissol with emphasis on the latest geographical discoveries, including the discovery of the “New World” – the American continent, Africa south of the Sahara Desert, Ethiopian Jewry and the discovery of the Ten Lost Tribes.
Chapter 29 of this work is dedicated entirely to the description of the New World –
“This is America which was discovered by Columbus” (leaf 53a). It paints a fascinating description of the Portuguese and Spanish explorers, their journeys around the world to America and India, and the residents of these previously-unknown lands.
This book was originally printed in Venice, 1587.
The present edition was brought to print by Rabbi Yisrael Landau, son of Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, the Noda B’Yehudah of Prague, who included his comments and insertions, among them an essay on the Jews of Cochin by Weisel. Rabbi Yisrael also included the Rambam’s Iggeres Teiman and Ibn Ezra’s Yesod Moreh in this work.
Igeres Orchos Olam is complemented by three impressive copperplate illustrations by the master artist Anton Balzer.
In the present copy, the illustrations were also hand-painted in delicate shades by an artist. One of the illustrations depicts a deep-sea diver diving off a boat in order to search for gold in the heart of the ocean. A second illustration is of a quarter of the globe that had just been revealed and animals entering Noah’s Ark; and the third illustration depicts the era of Mashiach when “a wolf and lamb shall dwell together."
Rabbi Avraham Farissol (circa 1451-1530) was born in Avignon in south France, but settled in Ferrara. Rabbi Avraham was a sage, scholar and prolific author, with the most famous among his writings being the present work, authored in 1525.”
Prague, 1793. Page Count: [8], 96, [2] leaves.
Page Size: 18 cm.
Condition: Good. Rare to find this sefer in such pristine and complete condition!
