Kehunat Avraham - Rhymed Psalms (!) - Venice, 1719-1729 - Single Edition - Illustrations and the Author's Portrait ...

Kehunat Avraham - Rhymed Psalms (!) - Venice, 1719-1729 - Single Edition - Illustrations and the Author's Portrait - Impressive Copy, a Relic from the Well-Known Library of Rabbi Matityahu Strashun of Vilnius, with His Signature
Kehunat Avraham - a rhymed adaptation of the verses of psalms. Five sections, according to the books of Psalms. By Rabbi Avraham Ben Shabtai Ha'Cohen of Zante. Venice, [1719]. Single edition. A unique, one-of-a-kind book, extremely rare!
Two title pages. The first title page is illustrated (an impressive, interesting illustration of the song of creation). The second title page is detailed. After the first title page, the author's portrait.
At the beginning and end of the book, essays, approbations and various poems.
A separate title page for each of the five sections.
The author of the book is Rabbi Avraham Ha'Cohen of Zante, who surpassed himself and wrote a poem for each and every verse of Psalms. Undoubtedly, this is a unique, one of a kind composition. The author lyric style which is based many times on impressive Gematria is expressed also in the text accompanying the composition itself.
Researchers have wondered why the approbations of the rabbis of Venice refer to the book as "Birkat Avraham" while the author always refers to it as "Kehunat Avraham", including in the title page and at the beginning of each of its sections.

Signature of Rabbi Matityahu Strashun
On the Forsazt leaves, the rare signature of Rabbi Matityahu Strashun of Vilnius (1817-1885), the son of Rabbi Shmuel Strashun (the Rashash). The disciple of Rabbi Yitzchak of Volozhin and Rabbi Menashe of Iliya. In 1865, he was chosen as the leader of the community. Published more than 300 Hebrew articles on Talmudic literature. In addition, his glosses and novellae on the Babylonian Talmud and Mishnayot were printed by the Vilnius printing press.
Rabbi Matityahu Strashun was especially known for his huge collection of books, which eventually became "the Strashun Library" of Vilnius, which was well-known throughout the Jewish world. The book before us contains stamps of the Strashun library (from the time after his death). The library contained approximately 6,000 rare books. Those days, such a large private library was unmatched. The books of the library were listed in a special catalog, "Likutei Shoshanim", which was printed in Berlin (1899) (see lot no. 147 of this auction). Just before the Holocaust, when the library opened to the wide public, it contained approximately 35,000 books and was one of the largest Jewish libraries in the world. It was, of course, destroyed completely during the Holocaust. Before us is a rare copy, a relic of the important library, which contains the rare signature of Rabbi Matityahu Strashum himself.
Additional ancient signatures and inscriptions.
[2], 8, 49; 40; 30; 26; 64 leaves. 20.5 cm.
Condition: Excellent. Thick leaves. New, impressive leather binding with golden decorations. It is extremely rare to find this rare book in such perfect condition!