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Works of Jewish controversy written by Jews and published in England in the period to 1720 were few in number and are now very uncommon. Those controversial treatises actually in Hebrew were and are particularly rare. Searches via ESTC, RLIN, OCLC, and NUC Pre-1956 locate fewer than a dozen copies of this text in U.S. libraries.

•  Roth, Magna Bibliotheca Anglo-Judaica, 336; Palau 191134; ESTC T210368. 18th-century diced russia. Joints and board edges rubbed with joints tender and starting at tops and bottoms. Some margin pencil marks but a clean, complete copy of a scarce and very important book.

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Only the second American edition, the first having been published in Boston, 1718–22. The first edition is extremely rare, with copies reported at the AAS, Yale, the Boston Public, the Huntington, and the Library Company. Many if not all copies are incomplete or damaged. An important American Judaicum.

Provenance: 19th-century ownership note of John Davison (“His Book”); 20th-century bookplate of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and John D. Rockefeller Jr. (whose “D.” stood for Davison).

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 4463; Rosenbach, Jewish, 130; Singerman, Judaica Americana, 0143.   Publisher's sheep, worn, hinges (inside) open and joints weak. Ex-library, with call number on binding, and rubber-stamps; private ownership indications as above, plus another. Far from an ideal copy but priced accordingly.  (21704)

The two volumes are illustrated with a total of69 copper-engraved plates (out of 70 called for), including a number of maps, all engraved by several different hands after the work of various artists.

•  CBEL, II, 1492; ESTC T112662; Lowndes 1236; Schweiger, I, 179.   Period-style quarter mottled calf with marbled paper–covered sides, leather edges blind-tooled, spines with gilt-stamped leather title-labels and gilt-stamped compartment decorations. Front fly-leaf of vol. II with 19th-century inked gift inscription. Vol. I lacking list of subscribers; vol. II lacking one plate (“The Death of Caius Caesar”). Light to moderate spotting and staining throughout; some offsetting to and around plates. One leaf torn from outer edge, narrowly missing text. A sound, handsome set fine for working or playing with.  (24538)

This is the second edition of L'Estrange's translation of Josephus's works, following the first of 1692; the index was compiled by Thomas Hearne.The volume is illustrated with two oversized, folding maps and two engraved plates done by Michael Vandergucht.  (That's a shadow in our righthand image, above — NOT damage to the plate.)

•  ESTC T110233; Graesse, III, 484; Lowndes, III, 1235–36.   Later quarter morocco and speckled paper–covered sides, spine with raised bands and gilt-stamped leather title-label; leather and paper faded along extremities and joints. Title-page verso and a few other pages institutionally rubber-stamped, in some cases with light offsetting; first preface page with rubber-stamped numeral. Frontispiece with inner margin reinforced, title-page with outer margin reinforced; portions of lower and outer margins of one map reinforced. Occasional small spots of foxing, pages mostly clean. Pagination erratic, with numerous omissions and gaps, but text complete. (21068)

The Histoire and the Supplement have their own title-pages, each with an engraved vignette and red and black lettering. Opposite each printed title-page is an engraving. That opposite the Histoire critique des dogmes et cultes is an added engraved title-page, while that opposite the Supplement is a frontispiece; however, both engravings are closely related and bear scenes from Genesis. The text is illustrated with engraved initials, and head- and tailpieces.

•  19th-century quarter sheep over marbled-paper boards, spine with gilt-ruled raised bands, gilt lettering and ornaments within “compartments”; binding a little chipped and abraded; ex-library with white-lettered call number at base of spine, institutional bookplate on front pastedown, pressure-stamp on title-page, rubber-stamp on title-page and several other pages, and inked numeral at base of p. [iii]. Top and bottom paper edges speckled blue. Interior generally clean, with light toning in some margins and occasional small spots of browning or foxing; light orange streaks to four pages of supplement and a small hole within text of pp. 149/150 costing two letters to each page, neither impeding reading. Several page corners chipped, and bottom edges of a few pages of the supplement a little ragged; plates clean and untattered. A solid, satisfying copy.  (23743)

Provenance:  Front cover gilt-stamped “Lending Library. T.C.D.”; front pastedown with bookplate and title-page verso with rubber-stamp of Trinity College, Dublin (both marked properly deaccessioned).

•  Tan publisher's cloth over boards, title stamped on spine. In dust jacket (chipped and slightly soiled). A clean, good copy.  (22691)

•  STC (rev.) 17947; ESTC S121879; Allibone 1325; Vancil 165. On Minsheu, see: Dictionary of National Biography.   Period-style morocco framed and panelled in gilt rolls with gilt-stamped corner fleurons, spine with original gilt-stamped leather title-label, gilt-ruled raised bands, and gilt-stamped decorations in compartments (signed by Grace Bindings in blind at inner area of rear cover, lower turn-in). Title-page institutionally rubber-stamped. Some age-toning and light to moderate spotting; one leaf with tear from outer margin into several lines of text, without loss; last leaf with small hole affecting a few words. (21047)

•  Publisher's tan cloth and blue d/j printed in white and “gold” with illustration. Corners bumped.  (22344)

•  Contemporary vellum over paste boards. Ex-library: Call number label removed from spine with noticeable result, bookplate, library name rubber-stamped on bottom edges of closed book, pressure-stamp on title-page. Librarian's pencil markings. Withal, a very nice copy.  (21305)

Judaism

The work was printed in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, where Priestley settled in 1782, when his liberal political opinions and defense of the French Revolution (in addition to his status as a nonconforming minister of questionable orthodoxy) obliged him to emigrate from England to the United States.

Provenance: Both title-pages inscribed by N. Irwin.

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 4912 & 7121. Recent quarter calf over marbled paper–covered sides, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels. Title-pages with faint impression of a once-pencilled shelf number; some leaves lightly foxed.

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This work was printed in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, where Priestley settled in 1782, his liberal political opinions and defense of the French Revolution (in addition to his status as a nonconforming minister of questionable orthodoxy) having obliged him to emigrate from England to the United States.

Provenance: Each title-page inscribed by N. Irwin.

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 2933 & 4913. Recent quarter calf over marbled paper–covered sides, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels. Title-pages with faint impression of a once-pencilled shelf number; a few page edges slightly ragged; some instances of small spots of foxing, mostly in margins, and varying degrees of offsetting. Please note these are octavo values — they're substantial, but we think the photo may make them look a bit taller than they actually are.