Ha'Machberes Immanuel First Edition. Brescia 1491. Beautiful Copy

The first printed book of Hebrew poetry and one of only two literary Hebrew incunabula. With zodiacal illustrations (pages 48-49), printed for the first time in a Hebrew book.
The Ha’Machberes Immanuel is the most important work of Immanuel Ben Shlomo of Rome (c. 1261-1328), a poet, scholar and author of both Hebrew and Italian texts. Combining poetry and prose on various diverse subjects, with satires, elegies and religious poems, Sefer Ha’Machberes represents a unique example of the blending of traditional Jewish and secular Italian literature that characterized much of the Jewish literary output during that period in Italy. In this work there is the first version of the Piyut “Yigdal”, the well-known liturgical poem based on Maimonides Thirteen Principles of Faith. The current version is an abridged adaptation of a poem by Immanuel featured in the fourth chapter of this work. The Piyut “Yigdal” is said in many Kehillos either at the beginning or at the end of prayers.
The Machberes Immanuel was well known in its time, see Shulchon Oruch (Orach Chaim 307:16).
Vinograd Brescia 3. Soncino press. 20 cm. 141 of 160 pages. Very fine condition. Minor repairs to 2 pages and some corners. Lacking the first 8 pages (including the opening blank) as well as the final 11 pages. All the missing pages are provided in high quality facsimile. Modern elegant leather binding.
Opening bid $6000