Or Amim by Rabbi Ovadia Sforno – Bologna, 1537

Or Amim by Rabbi Ovadia Sforno – Bologna, 1537

Or Amim, philosophical work by R. Ovadia Sforno. Bologna: Silk Weaver's Guild, [1537]. First edition.
The author, R. Ovadia Sforno (d. 1550) was a leading Italian Torah scholar, renowned for his commentary on the Torah. He lived in Bologna, where he served as posek and earned a living as an expert physician. He was presumably one of the sponsors (or initiators) of the establishment of the press of the Silk Weaver's Guild in Bologna. In his philosophical work Or Amim, R. Ovadia Sforno challenges and refutes the theories of the renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle. He later translated his work to Latin. The Latin edition was also printed in Bologna, a year later, in 1538. This is the first book printed by the Silk Weaver's Guild (and one of the first Hebrew books printed in Bologna).
Signature on title page (faded): "Ish Ger" – acronym of R. Avraham Yosef Shlomo Graziano, Jewish-Italian scholar and maskil in the 17th century; renowned collector of books and manuscripts.

64 leaves. 18.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Open tears to title page and final leaf, not affecting text, repaired with paper. Minor worming, repaired in part with paper. All leaves were professionally restored and cleaned (resulting in fading of signatures and inscriptions). Inscriptions. Censor's signatures. New leather binding.