Manuscript of an anti Christian polemic. R. Dovid Nasi of Candia.

Manuscript of an anti Christian polemic. R. Dovid Nasi of Candia.
Polemic manuscript in Hebrew demolishing the nine basic tenets of Christian dogma, attributed to R. Dovid Nasi of Candia. In nineteenth century Europe, publishing books of this nature was fraught with danger hence they were sometimes kept in manuscript form.
R. David Nasi of Candia was seemingly a brother of Joseph Nasi the Duke of Naxos. This work was written for Cardinal Francisco Bentivoglio who became disenchanted with Christianity. He asked R. Nasi, who was employed by him, to supply him with Jewish anti-Christian works. R. Nasi obliged by writing this treatise. The writer of the introduction states (on page 1b) that after Cardinal Francisco read this debate he became “another person and bequeathed to R. David a property containing a field and a vineyard from which the author was able to maintain a comfortable livelihood”.
This work was first published in Frankfurt in 1866 by R. Yaakov Sapir based upon a manuscript. The controversial Ephraim Deinard was enamored by this work and republished it in 1904 with his own introduction. However that edition was destroyed in a fire (possibly deliberately), and only one copy remained in Deinard’s possession. Prof. Chaim Hames believes that this work was likely an 18th century anti-Frankist pseudo epigraphic composition. He states that he could not find the names David Nasi and Cardinal Bentivoglio in any other source.
28 sides. 21 cm. High quality thick paper. Excellent condition. Unbound.
Opening bid $250