TE NU TESTAMENT OV UR LORD AND SAVYOR JEZUS KRIST.

SINSINATI [Cincinnati, Ohio]: Elias Longley, FONETIC PUBLIXER [Phonetic Publisher], 1861.

Written and printed entirely in a phonetic spelling and a special shorthand that Elias Longley and his brother designed to make reading easier and more intuitive. Interesting that this supposedly easier to read Bible was published during the Civil War, a time when easy to read Bibles were badly needed.

Hardcovers, brown cloth covered boards with blind embossed designs, 5x7.5 inches, Pagination: xx, [21]-343, plus 4 pages of Publisher's ads at the rear.

Condition: The original covers are well worn at the spine, with much of the spine covering apparently having been reattached; the front and rear boards are worn at the spine folds, otherwise are solid and nice, with just some edgewear and rubs; internally, the binding is shaky, the cord binding is holding everything together, but the binding is starting to split at places where the book was overopened, and it feels like a good tug could easily split the binding open; the pages themselves are in good condition, complete, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

INTERESTING ASSOCIATION COPY: Provenance of DR. JOHN E. SYLVESTER of Wellston, Ohio, with his personal library bookplate on the front pastedown: "J. E. SYLVESTER LIBRARY / Theology / No. 41", and his handwritten ownership information on a blank front endpaper: "John E. Sylvester's book / Bot of D.N. DeSay Aug 28th 1869 / Price $.30".

About JOHN E. SYLVESTER (from various Ohio newspaper obituaries):

******Dr. John E. Sylvester was a prominent 19th-century physician and amateur archaeologist based in Ohio. He is best known in Ohio history for discovering the Berlin Tablet in 1876, a rare and important artifact attributed to the ancient Mound Builder cultures. His medical, historical, and civic footprint left a lasting legacy in the region.

Following his death, his heirs set aside his property for the city so it could build a dedicated public library. In 1968 the Sylvester Memorial Wellston Public Library was finally built directly on his former residence at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Second Street. John's brother, Franklin Sylvester, was also a lover of books and libraries. Franklin donated ten thousand dollars in 1904 for the construction of a free community library in Medina, Ohio. The Medina library was completed in 1907 and remains in operation today.*****

About ELIAS LONGLEY and His Wife Elizabeth Margaret Vater Longley (from Wikipedia and various Cincinnati historical sites):

******Elias Longley, b.1823 d.1899, was a Cincinnati, Ohio based printer, publisher, and prominent advocate for phonetic spelling and shorthand. He operated his publishing company in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he published phonetic books and instructional manuals to promote phonetic literacy. He and his wife were also strong advocates for women's suffrage.

Elizabeth Vater Longley, b.1830 d.1912, married Elias Longley in 1847. At the time, they lived in a Cincinnati utopian community. Elizabeth Longley was an early adopter of the mechanical typewriter. She invented an early form of touch typing that used 8 fingers called the "All-Finger Method", which she presented in 1882, six years before Frank E. McGurrin invented and patented the ten digit touch typing method we still use today. Elizabeth Longley was a member of the executive committee of the National Women's Suffrage Association and vice president of the Ohio association. She, along with her husband, worked hard to promote phonetic spelling, believing it would make reading easier and dramatically increase literacy.******.

*This unusual phonetic Bible in its original covers, printed in Cincinnati in 1841, with a nice Ohio provenance, is quite rare and well deserving of some loving care. (I wonder how I would say that phonetically?)

MAY GOD LET HIM GROW: A Child's Birth in the Culture and Customs of Bohemian and Moravian Jews. Text by Dana Verselska, et al. Published by the Jewish Museum in Prague, 2009.

A book on vintage JEWISH CIRCUMCISION TEXTILES used in BIRTH CEREMONY RITUALS from 1668 to 1930.

ILLUSTRATED with COLOR REPRODUCTIONS of over 100 CIRCUMCISION TEXTILES, most printed on fold-open pages. Also illustrated with color photographs of items related to the Jewish birth ceremony ritual.

Softcovers, French folds, 9x8 inches (22x21 cm) oblong, 312 pages.

NEAR FINE condition, slight pushing to the cover corner tips, overall tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A lovely, very presentable copy.

From the Publisher:

******This book is the result of almost five years research undertaken between 2004-2009 by staff at the Jewish Museum in Prague on the DONATED CIRCUMCISION TEXTILES used by Bohemian and Moravian Jews. These textiles were acquired from collections both in the Czech Republic and abroad. These are circumcision textiles that were used in actual birth circumcision ceremonies.

Catalogs 1,328 circumcision textiles,with brief descriptions that include translations of their Hebrew dedicatory inscriptions. Illustrated with over full color illustrations.

Features a specialist study on the ceremonies that are connected to the birth of a child in the culture of Bohemian and Moravian Jews, as well as three other specialist studies that provide a detailed analysis of the Torah binder, made from the swaddling cloth used at a boy's circumcision.

There are also indexes of the forenames and surnames of the donors (i.e. the boys who were circumcised or their parents or grandparents) and an index of the localities mentioned in the dedicatory inscriptions. A unique register of circumcisions from 1668 to 1930.

This book / catalogue provides an important resource for anyone interested in Jewish circumcision rituals, textile art, and/or genealogy.******

TEXTILES FROM BOHEMIAN AND MORAVIAN SYNAGOGUES - from the Collections of the Jewish Museum in Prague.

Published by the Jewish Museum in Prague, 2003. ISBN 8085608650.

Hardcover Book in Slipcase, 9x12.5 inches (22.5x31 cm), 376 pages

ILLUSTRATED with 500 COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS of Synagogue Textiles: Curtains, Torah Mantles, Valances, Covers, etc. They are gorgeous.

FINE, as new book and slipcase in its original shrink wrap.

Please Note: The provided images are from a personal copy of the book, this copy is still in its shrink wrap.

From the Publisher:

******A de luxe catalogue of synagogue textiles from the collections of the Jewish Museum in Prague, produced to accompany the exhibition "For Dignity and Adornment" which took place at the Imperial Prague Castle March-June 2003.

The catalogue text and illustrations cover most of the textiles presented at the exhibition, as well as other select examples of the rich diversity of the Museum's textile holdings, amounting to a thousand items. Moreover, they broaden the scope of information on individual groups of textiles by adding other striking examples.

The wide variety of the collection is reflected in 500 full-colour illustrations.

Sections include: The Specific Symbols of Moravian Synagogue Textiles; Valances and their Specific Iconography; Textiles of Oriental Provenance; Fabrics of Chinese Provenance; The Historical Background of Donors; The Development of Hebrew Dedicatory Inscriptions and the Contemporary Use of Czech and German Inscriptions; The Donation of Synagogue Textiles as Reflected in Epitaphs; The Restoration of Textiles at the Jewish Museum in Prague; and The Identification of Collection Points.

Textiles include: Curtains, Torah Mantles, Valances and Covers. Catalogue Entries also include the name of the donor and information on the place from where the item came.

The catalogue ends with a glossary of Hebrew terms and an index of names and localities.

An indispensable resource for anyone interested in Jewish culture, and for all lovers of textile art.******

INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the charges and be able to accept or reject them before payment is taken. Thanks!

LIFE IN IRAN The Library of Congress Drawings by Ardeshir Mohassess

Published by Mage Publishers, Washington D.C., 1994. First edition. Introduction by Bernard F. Reilly, Jr. Illustrated softcover, 11.75" x 9.5", 47 pages, filled with captioned b&w illustrations by one of the greatest political satirists of Iran. His prescient and tragic work spoke truth to power and bear witness to the authoritarian forces surrounding the 1979 Revolution and the repressive years that followed under the Islamic Republic of Iran. These drawings depict transformative decades in Iran, first observed from within the country and later from the diaspora. Very Good Condition: a touch of wear to the covers, otherwise tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Uncommon.

Ardeshir Mohassess (b. Iran, 1938-2008), Iran's greatest contemporary graphic artist, His work depicts a crucial time in Iran's modern history, the years surrounding the 1979 Revolution. His fearless critique of the monarchy and clergy, and depicting the shah and his entourage with unrelenting scorn led to increasing censorship and police harassment, prompting his departure from Iran. These images resonate with increasing urgency, a record that asserts art's role as witness, documenting what power seeks to obscure and of preserving memory where official histories fail.

THE JEWISH QUESTION A Selection of the Articles (1920-22) Published by Mr. Henry Ford's Paper 'The Dearborn Independent' and Reprinted Later Under the General Title of The International Jew

[Ford, Henry]. Published by M.[ilitant] C.[hristian] P.[atriots] Publications, London, nd circa 1929. Softcover. 276 pages. Original brown wrappers, with black lettering on the front cover and spine. Filled with virulent anti-semitism throughout. GOOD Condition: former owners name neatly penned to front cover, covers edge worn, spine ends bumped affecting inner pages, internally some corner creases and light wear from age/use, otherwise tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Scarce.

These articles were originally published in The Dearborn Independent, a weekly newspaper owned by Henry Ford, the most prominent anti-Semitic American publication of the period. They were later serialized under the title "The International Jew: The World's Problem," which were based on an earlier antisemitic work "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." These publications promoted conspiracies, influenced Nazi ideology, and fueled global antisemitism. This material was a major source of antisemitic propaganda in the early 20th century. Interestingly, Henry Ford one of America's richest men was later forced to "apologize" because his antisemitic views were hurting his business.

The Militant Christian Patriots were a British fascist fringe group formed by Colonel Arthur Henry Lane in 1929 that lasted until 1939. They were an interwar organization that distributed antisemitic literature with curated content focused on the "Jewish question," a term used in the 19th and 20th centuries to describe debates over the place of Jewish people in society, and frequently used to promote anti Jewish and xenophobic agendas which influenced fascist leaders like Hitler.

The Great Pyramid of Gizeh. A Symbol of Universal Truth J. Munsell Chase. Published by Chase & Rae Press, San Francisco, 1916. First edition. An uncommon San Francisco esoteric work blending early Pyramidology with the Theosophy adjacent symbolic and metaphysical interpretations circulating in West Coast spiritual circles. Chase presents the Great Pyramid as a living emblem of universal truth, moving through its history, dimensions, and chamber system while tying each aspect to ideas of fire, sacred number, the decad, the four elements, and the broader mysteries he believed began in ancient Egypt. Issued as Temple Talks Series 1 No. 1 and very difficult to locate today. Green printed paper wraps, staple-bound. Illustrated with eleven b&w plates and diagrams, including maps, sectional views of the King's Chamber, and symbolic renderings typical of early occult pyramid studies. Good + Condition: light wear to the wrappers, two bottom margin clear tape repairs to verso's of ffep and title page, corner creases, oxidizing to the staples but they're holding well, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Scarce, only 3 copies in OCLC collections worldwide.

John Munsell Chase (1859-1941) was a San Francisco writer, publisher, editor, and occultist. He was Vice President of the California State Spiritualists Association and the Society of Progressive Spiritualists in San Francisco, and the director of the Mediums' Protective Association. He was editor of the "Philosophical Journal" a spiritualist weekly in 1903-1904. His publications include "The Riddle of the Sphinx" (1915), a work exploring esotericism, theosophy, and philosophy. The Great Pyramid of Gizeh: A Symbol of Universal Truth (1916), a detailed analysis of the pyramid's architecture and history. And he published maps of San Francisco. He passed away in Tamalpais Canyon, now Homestead Valley in Mill Valley after a fall.

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR, Volume VI, No. 1, June 15, 1845 through No. 12, December 1, 1845.

LIVERPOOL: Published by Wilford Woodruff and Thomas Ward, Stanley Building, Bath Street, MDCCCXLV (1845).

Binder's tiny signature at the top corner of the front free endpaper "Wm Huline / Binder".

Contemporary paper covered boards, 5.5x8.5 inches (4x21 cm). Pagination: general title, preface and index bound at front, 204 pages, blank front and rear endpapers.

ASSOCIATION COPY: Provenance of JOSEPH SLINGER, ORDAINED PRIEST of the LATTER DAY SAINTS in 1840. His signature is at the top of the title page.

From the Minutes of the 1840 LDS Conference: "A general Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was held in the Carpenters Hall Manchester on the 6th day of July 1840...Moved & Carried that JOSEPH SLINGER, George Walker. John Smith...be ordained Priest."

Joseph Slinger is also noted as a donor on an 1844 manuscript list of Tithing Donations for the building of an LDS Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Condition: The text block has been professionally resewn, the covers rehinged, and some corners restored; making this a solid copy. The front and rear boards are worn, scraped and rubbed; there is no spine covering, the sewn text signatures are neatly and attractively visible. There is early scribbling (or attempts at writing by a child) on the pastedowns, and a drawing on the front free endpaper, all of which I think adds to the uniqueness of this copy, showing that it was kept in a home and treated as a common book to be marked up and used, not as scarce collectible item meant for a museum. I especially like the naive drawing on the front free endpaper of what appears to be an LDS woman in a modest dress. Also at the top of the front free endpaper is written: "(I. V.?) White's book from (J. C.?) Foss. April 25, 1902". Perhaps these names have an association to the Mormons, but I have been unable to determine it. The text pages are toned as normal, with some foxing, spotting, soiling, marks, edgewear, etc. here and there throughout, but the text is always fully legible. The last issue, No. 12, titled: FURTHER PERSECUTION OF THE SAINTS IN AMERICA has relevant marginalia and underlining noting and commenting on various passages. Overall, with the professional resewing and restoration, this is a complete, sturdy, presentable copy.

UNCOMMON with the EARLY LATTER DAY SAINT PRIEST'S PROVENANCE, and with the Binder's Signature.

SANCTI IOANNIS CHRYSOSTOMI DE VIRGINITATE LIBER, A IVLIO POGIANO CONVERSVS. JOHANNES CHRYSOSTOMUS.

ROMAE: Apub Paulum Manutium, Aldi F., M. D. LXII [1562]. First Edition.

Modern hard covers, 7x7.5 inches (17x19 cm). Pagination: [ai] title page, aii-biii, [lacking blank leaf following biii], Ai - Qiiii - 64 numbered leaves. Aldine anchor and dolphin printer's device on title page. Collated page by page with a copy held at the National Central Library of Rome.

GOOD condition: Professionally rebound in hardcovers (leather spine and corners with decorative paper covered boards), with new blank endpapers (archival watermarked laid paper). The title page is lacking its bottom 1.5 inches and its last line of text, it has been professionally restored with archival laid paper at its corners and bottom (a copy of the title page from the copy at the National Library of Rome is laid in for comparison purposes, note that it has library stamps, paper repairs, and some hand marks and X's, the X marks notably at the ring at the top of the anchor). The corners of the first few pages have also been professionally restored, not affecting text. Else, the title page is toned; there is waterstaining to the upper gutter area and front margin of the pages, most noticeably on the first 10 pages, then becoming very light; there is some foxing here and there. Overall the pages of this 1562 book are amazingly complete, bright and clear.

RARE 1562 edition printed in Rome by Paulus Manutius at the Aldine Press.

About PAULUS MANUTIUS (from Wikipedia):

******Paulus Manutius (aka Paolo Manuzio), b.1512 d.1574, was a Venetian printer with a humanist education, the third son of the famous printer Aldus Manutius.

The printer's mark of the Aldine Press, used by both Aldus Manutius, the father, and Paulum Manutium, his son, is known as "the anchor and the dolphin".******

The History of Sin and Heresie Attempted, From the First War That They Rais'd In Heaven : Through Their Various Successes and Progress Upon Earth : To The Final Victory Over Them, and Their Eternal Condemnation in Hell : In Some Meditations Upon The Feast Of St. Michael and All Angels

This is the earliest known commentary on Milton's rejection of the Holy Trinity (Anti-Trinitarianism) in Paradise Lost.

Anonymous, [Charles Leslie]. Printed for H. Hindmarsh, at the Golden-Ball over against the Royal-Exchange, in Cornhil, London, 1698. First edition. Rebound in brown cloth covered boards, 6" x 8", [8], 60 pages. Errata printed at end of Contents leaf. Complete as issued, however the second leaf of the preface (pages 5, 6) is bound in at the rear. Ex Library, deaccessioned from the Pacific School of Religion, with its shelving label on the front cover, their bookplate on the front pastedown, their small oval ink stamps here and there, and the ghost remains of library pockets on the rear pastedown; otherwise VERY GOOD CONDITION: some old shorelining, light foxing, title page has corner-tip chips, page 23 has a closed bottom margin tear, and there is a BB size spot near the gutter between pages 56/57 where the two pages are stuck together affecting a few words, otherwise tight, bright, clean, and unmarked. Uncommon, only 23 copies in OCLC collections worldwide and is scarce in commerce, the only auction record I found was from 1899.

Charles Leslie accused John Milton (1608-1674) of promoting heretical views in his epic poem "Paradise Lost," by portraying the angels as ignorant of the Holy Trinity, a core Christian belief which Leslie considered a significant heresy. During this period, theological debates around the Trinity were highly contentious, making Leslie's accusation of heresy against Milton particularly significant. It was a pile-on and Leslie was the first of many prominent and influential voices trying to discredit the poet. Milton's work was banned by King Charles II and the Catholic Church which banned it for 216 years - in 1732 Pope Clement XII placed an Italian translation in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, where it remained until 1940.

Charles Leslie (1650-1772) Irish Protestant clergyman. Leading incendiary Jacobite polemicist infamous for his explosive rhetoric against Quakers, Jews, Socinians, Roman Catholics, and Deists. He refused to take the oath of allegiance to the new monarchs, William and Mary in 1689, and spent much of his life in self-imposed exile because of his controversial viewpoints. He was a prolific writer whose tracts opposed the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and supported the Jacobite Uprising of 1689. He condemned the slaughter of the MacDonalds at Glencoe (1692) and William and Mary for allowing it. He remains a challenging historic figure who as yet defies classification.

SECOND BETHEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 25th Anniversary Souvenir Program (Silver) 1954 - 1979 : The Rev. Charles F. Thomas, Pastor

Black churches were the heart and soul of the Civil Rights Movement. Educating the African American community was essential to furthering the Movement. Second Bethel Missionary Baptist under the leadership of Reverend Charles F. Thomas was an important voice for Oakland's Black experience during a very tumultuous time.

Scarce Souvenir Program, Published by the Second Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Oakland, California, 1979. First edition. Softcover, illustrated silver paper wraps, side staple bound, 11" x 8.5", 24 pages, illustrated throughout with b&w portraits, photographs, and community advertisements. VERY GOOD CONDITION: corner creasing, light wear from age, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. An historic documentation of Oakland's thriving African American Baptist community. Scarce, none in OCLC collections worldwide.

MORTGAGES / LOAN DOCUMENTS for CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. Folded official documents, with signatures, documentary stamps, notary statements, etc.

TWO DOCUMENTS:

October 1925 Mortgage Agreement between Congregation B'nai Israel and Williamsburgh Savings Bank. This document is SIGNED by DAYVE DeWALTOFF, then President of the Congregation of B'Nai Israel, and by Simon Abels, John Ginsberg, Bernard Ginsberg, Abram Fisch, Elias Kruchkow, and Charles Goldenberg. There are a number of Documentary Stamps at the top of the front page.

January 1929 Document assigning the mortgage of Congregation B'nai Israel real estate to Bay RIdge Savings Bank.

Both mortgage documents are in GOOD condition, they are lightly age toned, have various handwritten marks and notes, otherwise they are solid, bright, clear, and fully legible.

Interesting historical documents relating to Judaism in Brooklyn in the 1920s.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES - ENGLISH and YIDDISH, translated by Alexander Harkavy. To which is added: THE CITIZEN - A GUIDE TO NATURALIZATION [in YIDDISH].

NEW YORK: HEBREW PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1926.

The booklet contains the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and a naturalization study guide with sample questions asked in the naturalization test. The Guide to Naturalization is printed in YIDDISH, with some English. The Constitution is bi-lingual in YIDDISH and ENGLISH.

Booklet, paper wrappers (front and rear covers detached but present), small format 4x5.5 inches (10x14 cm). IN TWO PARTS BOUND TOGETHER - Part I; The Constitution / Declaration of Independence AND Part 2: The Citizen - A Guide to Naturalization. PAGINATION: [4], 90, 64 pages.

Complete but only FAIR condition, the front and rear wrappers are disbound and substantially chipped but are present and each is now in it's own protective plastic sleeve; internally, many of the inner pages have torn bottom corners that have been reinserted / restored with strips of clear tape; there are closed edge tears and chips here and there, some of which have been reinforced with clear tape; the paper is tender and can tear and chip rather easily (be gentle!), the page margins are age toned as normal. Despite the flaws the text pages are complete with printing that is fully legible, and the original wrappers, though disbound and chipped, are present with clear text. The wrappers are often lacking from this Yiddish naturalization guide.

Rare booklet for Yiddish speaking Jewish immigrants wanting to become U.S. citizens in 1926, containing the U.S. Constitution and the Naturalization Guide.

Peoples Forum, Vol. I, No. 17, March 1, 1977. Published by Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ, San Francisco, CA. First edition, broadsheet format, one folded sheet, four pages printed on newsprint. GOOD CONDITION: tender at the folds with tiny chips/wear, some edge tears/wear, and light age toning, otherwise bright and clean. Scarce.

In April 1976, Jim Jones' Peoples Temple launched Peoples Forum. Distributed on the street by Temple volunteers and dropped on doorsteps throughout San Francisco, it served as the Temple's monthly newspaper and main source of promotion and communication. The header shows three faces of different races, civil rights related imagery Jones used to advertise his interracial religious movement.

Jones' increasing radicalism and connection to the civil rights movement became apparent with the Peoples Forum. While early issues contain articles on "subjects as diverse as killer bees, Muhammed Ali, freedom of the press, and Jones hosting a TV show," later editions are more radical, illustrating Jones' support for Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. In late 1976 Peoples Forum covered a story about the FBI's role in the death of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton. The cover photo from this March 1, 1977 edition shows Jones and Newton shaking hands. Peoples Forum exemplifies the increasing involvement Peoples Temple had in California with Black rights leaders, racial issues, and activism. Additionally, Peoples Forum denounced and exposed the rising dangers of neo Nazism in San Francisco.

Jim Jones' Peoples Temple is notorious for the way it ended in on November 18, 1978 with more than 900 people dying in a mass murder suicide at the Peoples Temple Settlement in Jonestown, Guyana. The majority of the Jonestown massacre victims were black women.

EXPLICATION DE LA DEVOTION A LA SAINTE ENFANCE DE JESUS-CHRIST NOSTRE SEIGNEUR. Divisée en Trois Parties. La Premiere Contient les Motifs & Excellence de la Devotion. La Seconde, sa Nécessité et Utilité. La Troisième, le Recueil de Ceux qui l'ont Pratiquée.... Par le Père Joseph Parisot.

(EXPLANATION OF THE DEVOTION TO THE HOLY INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. Divided into Three Parts. The Premiere Contains the Motives & Excellence of Devotion. The Second, its Necessity and Utility. The Third, the Collection of Those who practiced it.... By Father Joseph Parisot.)

TOME PREMIER Qui Contient La Première et Seconde Partie. (FIRST VOLUME, containing Parts I and II). A Second Volume, containing Part III, was published subsequently. This is for the First Volume, with Parts I and II, only.

AIX (Aix-en-Provence, France): Charles David (printer to the King, the Clergy and the City). M.DC.LVII (1657).

Collated with a copy held in the Collection Jésuite des Fontaines at the Library of Lyon, that was digitized online. (This copy is in MUCH better condition than the copy in Lyon which was heavily water-stained and browned throughout.)

Full Vellum Covers, three raised spine bands, 6x8 inches, 2126 pages + an errata page. At the rear is added the Title-Page and the Table-of-Contents of the Second Volume (a Publisher's teaser, I suppose).

This 1657 book is in VERY GOOD condition, the vellum covers have yellowed and have some areas of browning especially on the rear cover, the front and rear inner hinges are cracked but holding tight, there is a two line ink statement on the front free pastedown that I believe indicates this book came from Beaucaire, France; the inner text pages are lovely, there is some light toning to some of the early and latter pages, light shorelining to the upper part of the first 50 or so pages, a torn blank bottom margin to a prelim page (not affecting text), a thumbprint size tear to the front blank margin of a few middle pages, and a rare spot here and there; overall the inner pages are quite amazingly well-kept, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A lovely copy of this rare work on why one should worship Infant Jesus.

RARE, becoming almost impossible to find.

Ah, the innocence of Babies, even Baby Jesus...

BUDDHIST ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBJECTS - Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection in the Nara National Museum. Published by the Nara National Museum, Nara City, Japan, 1993. First Edition.

Hardcover Book in Dustjacket, 7.5x10.5 inches, 156 pages. ILLUSTRATED throughout with numerous b&w photographs. Text in Japanese and English.

Artifacts are arranged in sections. including: Objects from Ancient Temple Sites; Baked Clay Stupa; Tiles with Figure Buddha; Clay Statues; Objects from Cremation Tombs; and more.

FINE book, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked; in a NEAR FINE dustjacket that has a hint of handling. A lovely copy.

From the English introductory notes:

******This publication is a pictorial catalogue of the buddhist archaeological objects except the objects excavated from sutra mounds, in the archaeology department, stored (as of March 1993) at the Nara National Museum. These illustrations have been arranged by place of excavation in north-south order. Data mentioned are plate numbers, titles, total number, quality, shape, size (in centimeters), period, etc. Data is given in English also. (Abbreviations are as follows. H. Height, D. Diameter, L. Length, W. Width) Detailed places of excavation, inscriptions, reference literature, storage numbers, designations, etc. are mentioned in reference materials appearing in the later part of this catalogue. ? indicates items of Important Cultural Property. Photographs are by Kinji Morimura and Satokazu Yazawa (former members of the museum's staff). Edited by Yoshiharu Inokuchi.******

A MANUSCRIPT COMMENTARY on the HEBREW BIBLE OLD TESTAMENT PSALMS by NOTED AMERICAN THEOLOGIAN and HEBREW SCHOLAR, WALTER ROBERT BETTERIDGE. An incomplete but extensive manuscript work that binds together an 1880 printing of the PSALMS (which have Betteridge's EXTENSIVE MARGIN NOTES ON EVERY PAGE) and OVER 100 PAGES OF MANUSCRIPT COMMENTARY. The handwritten commentary and notes were written by Betteridge ca. 1910-1916. The manuscript was likely being prepared for publication as "Commentary on Old Testament Psalms", but the work was never published because Betteridge died (1916) before it was completed. Nonetheless his wife had his "work in progress" professionally bound and then donated it to the University of Rochester Theological Seminary where her husband had been a Professor of Hebrew in the Old Testament Department.

This professionally bound volume contains the printed work: LIBER PSALMORUM - Textum masoreticum acuratissime expressit... notis criticis confirmavit, by S. BAER, [with] Praefatus est edendi operis adjutor, by FRANCISCUS DELITZSCH. Lipsiae: Ex officina Bernhardi Tauchnitz, 1880. 8vo, 5.5x9 inches. Pagination: [1] f., 82 pp. TOGETHER with over 100 PAGES of INTERLEAVED MANUSCRIPT COMMENTARY NOTES by Bettteridge, interleaved so that every one of the printed pages of the LIBER PSALMORUM has one or more pages of associated handwritten commentary bound-in beside it. There are also manuscript pages at both the front and rear of the book, and clippings from related texts here and there, clippings which Betteridge also annotated.

The printed PSALMS, the 100+ pages of manuscript commentary, and the many other small slips of paper with handwritten notes, are BOUND TOGETHER in recent hardcovers, black moire silk covered boards with leather spine label titled in gilt.

NOTE: Betteridge's handwriting is miniscule with LOTS of words crammed onto every page and is difficult to read without a magnifier, so either have eagle eyes or an illuminated magnifying lamp on standby. Of course by writing in such a small manuscript Betteridge has managed to impart an incredible amount of commentary onto the 100+ handwritten pages. In normal script it would likely be at least 200+ pages.

PROVENANCE: Donated by Mrs. Betteridge to the Rochester Theological Seminary Library. with an institutional bookplate noting this on front pastedown. "Presented to Rochester Theological Seminary Library by MRS. BETTERIDGE / From The Library of WALTER ROBERT BETTERIDGE, D.D. 1863-1916 / On the Faculty of This Seminary in the Department Of Old Testament, 1891-1916".

CONDITION: The recent covers are solid and lovely; internally there is a Seminary bookplate on the front pastedown, as noted above, and a library blind-stamp on the title page; the pages are age toned; all the edges have significantly browned and have varying degrees of chipping and wear, affecting only a bit of marginalia here and there; overall the printing and handwriting is clear and legible (with magnification); all pages, manuscript and printed, are tightly bound. A solid copy.

A UNIQUE WORK that represents an American theological scholar's lifetime of studying and teaching Hebrew and the Old Testament. Deserving of close examination.

About PROFESSOR WALTER ROBERT BETTERIDGE, D.D. (from various Internet sources):

******Walter Robert Betteridge, b.1863 d.1916, was an American theologian, professor, and Bible scholar. He was a Professor of Hebrew Language and Literature at the University of Rochester from 1891 until his death.

Author of "Commentary on Exodus" American Baptist Publication Society, 1914, and numerous articles including "The Accuracy of the Authorized Version of the Old Testament" 1911, and "Commentary on Deuteronomy", 1915.

Walter Robert Betteridge is listed in Volume 8, page 184 of "Who's Who in America", published by A.N. Marquis, 1914.******

DAS NEUE TESTAMENT zum Wachsthum in der Gnade und der Erkaenntniß des Herrn Jesu christi, nach dem revidirten Grundtext übersetzt und mit dienlichen Anmerckungen begleitet von D. Johann Albrecht Bengel.

(The New Testament...translated and accompanied with notes by Johann Albrecht Bengel.)

Contemporary vellum covered boards, 6x8 inches (12x19.5 cm), 1016 pages. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece.

STUTTGART: Johann Benedict Metzler, 1753.

GOOD condition: the vellum covers are age browned, have some scrapes, rubs, etc., but are still doing their job. Internally, the front joint is split but holding, a couple of the first blank leaves are loose, there are extensive relevant ink notes in a neat, tiny script on the blank front free endpapers, the inner pages are age toned, overall generally sound with text that is bright and clear throughout.

About JOHANN ALBRECHT BENGEL (from Wikipedia):

******Johann Albrecht Bengel, b.1687 d.1752, also known as Bengelius, was a Lutheran pietist clergyman and Greek language scholar known for his edition of the Greek New Testament and his commentaries on it.******

HISTOIRE de l'ORIGINE & du PROGRÈS des REVENUS ECCLÉSIASTIQUES - Où il est traité selon l'ancien et le nouveau Droit de tout ce qui regarde les Matières Bénéficiales, de la Régale, des Investitures des Nominations et des autres Droits attribués aux Princes. Par Jerome à COSTA [Richard SIMON].

FRANCFORT, Chez Frederic Arnaud, M. DC. LXXXIV (1684). FIRST EDITION. Text in French.

(The first English edition was published in 1685, under the title: The HISTORY of the ORIGINAL and PROGRESS of ECCLESIASTICAL REVENUES - Wherein is Handled According to the Laws, Both Ancient and Modern, Whatsoever Concerns Matters Beneficial, The Regale, Investitures, Nominations, And Other Rights Attributed to Princes. Written in French by a Learned Priest and now done into English.)

Contemporary calf covered boards, five raised spine bands, leather spine title label, gilt designs on spine, edges stained speckled red, 3.5x6 inches. Pagination: [4], 346, [10] pages, including an Index. Publisher's woodcut device on the title-page plus two engraved initial letters.

A pseudonymously published work on the history of Church Revenues and Finances. Simon, an accomplished Hebrew scholar, was later lauded by the New Catholic Encyclopedia as the "father of Biblical criticism".

GOOD Condition: The covers' leather is rubbed, the front hinge is split but holding well with the cord binding, overall the covers remain sturdy and attractive; internally, there is a small old French bookseller's label (Victor Pineau / Libraire / Beauvais) and a handwritten number on the front pastedown, a previous owner's signature and an institutional blind-stamp on the title page, offsetting to the margins of the endpapers and early leaves, otherwise complete, tight, bright, clean and unmarked. A nice, presentable copy.

About RICHARD SIMON (from Wikipedia): "Richard Simon, b.1638 d.1712, was a French priest, a member of the Oratorians, an influential biblical critic, and orientalist and a controversialist."