PATH OF LIFE : RABBI JUDAH LOEW BEN BEZALEL 1525-1609. Large, beautifully produced, fully illustrated CATALOGUE for the Exhibition of the same name that took place at the PRAGUE CASTLE, Czech Republic, in 2009. The exhibition was conceived by Alexandr Putik, who also edited this deluxe catalog. English edition, translated from the Czech.

Contains numerous essays on Rabbi Judah Loew Ben Bezalel by Jewish scholars.

Hardcover Book, no dustjacket as issued, 9x11.5 inches (22x29 cm), 520 pages. ILLUSTRATED with hundreds of color and b&w photographs.

Published by Jewish Museum in Prague / Academia, Prague, Czech Republic, 2009. ISBN 10: 8020017755; ISBN 13: 978-8020017758.

FINE condition, still in much of its original shrink-wrap (some has started peeling off), a lovely unread copy, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. Photos of the open book are from my personal copy.

From the Publisher:

******The 7th of September 2009 was the 400th anniversary of the death of Judah Loew ben Bezalel, known both as the Maharal and Rabbi Loew. This exquisite book was published by the Jewish Museum in Prague and the Academia Publishing House for a prestigious exhibition of the same name at Prague Castle. It features a substantial selection of the exhibited items from the museum's collections and from numerous other Czech and foreign cultural institutions. However, it is more than a mere catalogue for the exhibition, as it PROVIDES INSIGHTS into the AUTHENTIC LEGACY of the MAHARAL, WHICH FOR THE MOST PART HAS UNTIL NOW REMAINED CONCEALED.

About Judah Loew ben Bezalel (from Wikipedia):

******Judah Loew ben Bezalel, b.1512-1526 d.1609, also called Rabbi Loew (aka Löw, Loewe, Löwe or Levai), widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague or simply The Maharal, was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who, for most of his life, served as the leading rabbi in the cities of Mikulov in Moravia and Prague in Bohemia.

Within the world of Torah and Talmudic scholarship, Loew is known for his works on Jewish philosophy and Jewish mysticism and his work Gur Aryeh al HaTorah, a supercommentary on Rashi's Torah commentary. He is also the subject of a 19th century legend that he created the Golem of Prague, an animate being fashioned from clay.

Maharal's numerous philosophical works have become cornerstones of Jewish thought. His writings tried to make the ideas of the Kabbalah (which he held to be the most deeply true of all the Torah) understandable to the average educated reader, by presenting them in a rigorously philosophical form, couched in terms accessible to the public. He felt that only the greatest of Torah scholars are able to perceive the full intent of the Kabbalistic works in their complex entirety, but much could be comprehended by the general reader if presented in a rational and philosophic form. His main kabbalistic influences appear to have been the Zohar, Sefer Yetzirah, and traditions of the Chassidei Ashkenaz.

Miharal was in favor of scientific research, but believed the Talmudic, Midrashic, and Aggadic teachings refer to matters far beyond the sphere of natural science.

The Maharal is the subject of the legend about the creation of a golem, a creature made out of clay to defend the Jews of the Prague Ghetto from antisemitic attacks. He is said to have used mystical powers based on esoteric knowledge of how God created Adam.

Rabbi Loew is buried at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague in Josefov, where his grave and tombstone can still be visited.******

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!

NAMU DAI BOSA: A TRANSMISSION OF ZEN BUDDHISM TO AMERICA, by Nyogen Senzaki, Soen Nakagawa, and Eido Shimano.

Zen Studies Society's Bhaiajaguru Series published by Theatre Arts Books, New York, 1976.

SPECIAL LIMITED, NUMBERED and SIGNED EDITION. This is copy number 512 of only 1000 copies and has a sweeping CALLIGRAPHY SIGNATURE-INSCRIPTION by EIDO SHIMANO on the rear endpapers.

From the Colophon page: "This book was designed by Stephen Harvard and printed at The Stinehour Press in Lunenburg, Vermont...An edition of 1000 signed and numbered copies has been printed..."

Hardcovers, cloth covered spine and paper covered boards, spine titled in gilt, 6x9 inches. Pagination: xxix, 262 pages. Comes in a paper covered, heavy cardboard slipcase.

Condition: VERY GOOD book, the rear cover has a few small black smudges, clearly a result of the bold black calligraphic inscription on the rear endpapers, perhaps the calligrapher's brush or inky fingers lightly touched the rear cover at a couple spots, anyway adds a few nice "touches" to the inscription; otherwise the book is sharp cornered, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. In a FAIR slipcase that is solid and doing its job well, but has staining to the spine, a couple scrapes, ghost of a removed sticker, and some soiling.

About NYOGEN SENZAKI (from Wikipedia):

******Nyogen Senzaki, b.1876 d.1958, was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States.******

About SOEN NAKAGAWA (from Wikipedia):

******Soen Nakagawa, b.1907 d.1984, was a Taiwanese born Japanese roshi and Zen Buddhist master in the Rinzai tradition. An enigmatic figure, Nakagawa had a major impact on Zen as it was practiced in the 20th century, both in Japan and abroad.******

About EIDO SHIMANO (from Wikipedia):

******Eido Tai Shimano (Shimano Eido), b.1932 d.2018, was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York; he was forced to resign from that position of 40 years after revelations of a series of sexual relationships with and alleged sexual harassment of female students.****** (Not very Zen!)

GUTENBERG AND THE BOOK OF BOOKS with Biographical Notes, Reproductions of Specimen Pages and a Listing of Known Copies. By Henry Lewis Johnson.

NEW YORK: William Edwin Rudge, MCMXXXII (1932). This is the scarce FOLIO SIZE 1932 edition published by RUDGE, with all its plates intact. It includes the separate folder with a facsimile leaf from the Gutenberg Bible of Psalm 23: "This folder contains a facsimile of a page of the Gutenberg Bible including the Twenty-Third Psalm, suitable for framing".

Hardcover folio book with four called for reproductions, a paper folder with a facsimile leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, and an original card clamshell case that houses them both. The reproductions of ILLUMINATED PAGES and the FACSIMILE REPRODUCTION from the Gutenberg Bible are GORGEOUS.

Condition: NEAR FINE BOOK, light age toning to the page edges, otherwise sharp cornered, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. The book's plates are beautiful and each is protected with a tissue guard. The separate paper folder has some toning and light soiling, the facsimile leaf it holds is bright, clean and lovely, and would look great mounted and/or framed. The original cardboard case holding both items is well-worn, with some staining, scratches, and tearing; nonetheless it is still doing its job of protecting the treasure within.

Rare with ALL FOUR PLATES and the separate FACSIMILE OF PSALM 23 all present.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This large format and rather heavy

book 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!

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.

Agonía del tránsito de la muerte con los avisos y consuelos que cerca de ella son provechosos, Maestro Alejo Venegas de Busto.

(Agony of the Transition to Death with Helpful Warnings and Consolations when Approaching Death, with Brief Descriptions of Obscure Sentences and Words, by Maestro Alejo Venegas de Busto.)

ALCALA DE HENARES [Spain], Andrés de Angulo, Diego de Sancta Cruz, M.D.LX.V (1565). Sixth edition.

Hardcovers (19th century Spanish binding), 3/4 red leather (spine and corners) and red textured cloth covered boards, 5 raised spine bands, gilt titling and gilt designs to the spine, marbled endpapers, small 4o, 6x8 inches (14.5x20 cm). Pagination: ff. [8] CCXVI (i.e. [8], 216 leaves numbered in Roman numerals). Illustrated with intricate woodcut crests on titles.

GOOD Condition: Covers are rubbed and have some scrapes, most noticeably on the leather corners, still the covers are solid, doing their job well, and quite attractive. Internally, the title page and the subsequent couple of leaves have a little professional conservation at top margin that affects a bit of the title page image and a couple words at the top of the following two leaves; there is the ghost of the removal of a bookplate on the front free-endpaper, the title page has some early marginalia that has been lined out and there is some relevant scholarly ink marginalia on the latter pages related to the description of obscure words in that part of the text; overall solid, tight, bright, clean and clear. A nice copy.

COLLATED page by page with a 1565 copy in the Austrian National Library (the pages of THIS copy are much whiter and brighter).

About MAESTRO ALEJO VENEGAS DE BUSTO (from Wikipedia and elsewhere on the Internet):

******Alejo Venegas de Busto, b.Toledo 1497 or 1498, d.Toledo, 1562, was a Spanish Renaissance writer, humanist, lexicographer, and considered a Spanish mystic.

His best known work is the AGONY OF THE TRANSITION TO DEATH... (Toledo, 1537), an ascetic, mystic work that he dedicated to Doña Ana de la Cerda, Countess of Melito, on the occasion of the death of the writer's great protector, her husband Count Diego de Mendoza. This work derives specifically from the Praeparatio ad Mortem (1534) by Erasmus. The second edition appears in Toledo in 1540, the third in Toledo, 1543, the fourth in Zaragoza, 1544, the fifth in Toledo, 1547, the sixth in Toledo, 1553 and the seventh in Alcalá, 1565. Beginning in the third edition Venegas added his Brief Declaration of the Sentences and Obscure Words. The book has continued to be reprinted and was edited in the 19th century by Eugenio de Ochoa (Paris, Beaudry, 1847) and in 2001 by Marc Zuili (Paris, L'Harmattan, 2001). Various parts of this work have appeared in numerous other publications, including works on Spanish and Christian Mysticism.******

MARC CHAGALL - DRAWINGS FOR THE BIBLE. With 24 ORIGINAL FULL-PAGE COLOR LITHOGRAPHS and 96 B&W HELIOGRAVURE PLATES. Text by Gaston Bachelard. (Translated into English by Stuart Gilbert.)

NEW YORK: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1960. First American edition. The 24 original color lithographs were printed by Mourlot Freres and the 96 b&w heliogravure plates by Draeger Freres. This book was produced as Verve 37/38 (double issue - Summer 1960).

Hardcover Book in an Original LIthograph Dustjacket, 10.5x14 inches (27x36 cm). there are seven Introductory leaves, 24 original color lithographs, 96 b&w heliogravure reproductions, and some text pages at the rear that list the 24 lithographs and describe the 96 b&w heliographs.

Condition: VERY GOOD book, the covers have a few small spots and slight pushing to a couple corners but are solid, bright and clear; internally, the pages have light toning to the margins (as on every copy I have seen), lovely overall tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. The LITHOGRAPHS are GORGEOUS. In a GOOD original lithograph dustjacket that was professionally / archivally restored; the jacket is missing a large piece from the top front area of the rear panel, a piece at the bottom of the spine, and a few other small pieces, all of which have now been integrally reinforced; there are some scrapes to the folds, and some repaired and reinforced tears; overall the jacket is solid and bright.

A lovely copy of the book with all its incredibly beautiful lithographs by Marc Chagall, in its original (and archivally restored) dustjacket.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

Seven extraordinary diabolical full page engravings adorn this early 19th century Armenian religious book. Graphic supernatural imagery of sinners suffering eternal damnation in the fires of Hell. Created by an unknown engraver in the style of Jesuit Priest Alexandre Perier from his 1724 "Disillusion of Sinners" (Desengano dos Peccadores) originally printed in Rome in 1724.

Place of publication unknown, date unknown, circa early 1800s. Blind tooled leather over wood boards, sewn endbands, 3 raised spine bands, 5.25 x 3.35", [iv] 260 pages [iv], Armenian text, printed on laid paper, illustrated with seven woodcut engravings printed on one-side only, decorated throughout with a variety of ornaments including cherubs and birds, zoomorphic initials, and various head and tail pieces.

CONDITION: missing title page and 3 leaves of text (pages 23/24, 75/76, and 217/218); all 7 engraved plates are accounted for but plate #3 on page 73 has a large corner chip affecting the image, the leather spine is perished exposing burlap spine covering, leather covers rubbed, rear covers bottom corner-tip is chipped. Internally there are inked notations in Armenian on endpapers, some ink stains/staining here and there including on the plates, gutter cracked but stitches holding well, some edgewear/edge tears, finger soiling, a few old repairs, generally clean, bright and legible and the plates remain striking. Housed in a later slipcase. Uncommon, I have not found another example of these early engravings.

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.******

REGULA EMBLEMATICA SANCTI BENEDICTI. Opus Posthumum Admodum Reverendi Patris BONIFACII GALLNER [Bonifaz Gallner], Monachi Benedictini in Coenobio Mellicensi - Nunc Primum Bibliotheca ejusdem coenobii luci publicae datum A.R.S. MDCCLXXXIII.

VINDOBONAE (Vienna): Carl Wilhelm Holle Bibliopola Universitatis, MDCCLXXXIII (1783). Latin text.

Large Format Hardcovers, cloth covered boards with leather covered spine and corners (front cover present but detached), 4to. 9.5x14 inches (23.5x35.5 cm). Pagination: [18] Introductory pages, A1-Aaa3 (187 pages) EMBLEMATICA PLATES, [2] Index.

ILLUSTRATED with 187 ENGRAVED PLATES of ESOTERIC CATHOLIC OCCULT EMBLEMATICA. Each engraved plate and its accompanying Latin text is printed on its own leaf (i.e. blank backsides).

Condition: The front cover is present but detached (i.e. laid on loosely), the rear cover is almost detached and just holding on with its two upper binding cords; the spine covering is worn, scraped, faded and chipped, the boards are worn and chipped primarily at the corner and spine margin leather. Internally complete, the front free endpaper is chipped along the edges and corners and separating from the spine at the top five inches, the blank prelim page is also chipped along the edges; the first three introductory pages and the rear two index pages seem to have been printed on lesser paper and have toned / browned, but are still solid and completely legible, the 187 EMBLEMATICA ENGRAVED PLATES are all lovely, some light yellowing at the margins, some waviness at the bottom (likely from the plate printing process), a few with some toning, and a spot or two here and there; overall the plates are striking and gorgeous, and each suitable for framing imho. A complete copy with wonderfully esoteric plates that is more than suitable for rebinding / rebacking.

This 1783 edition is very scarce.

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."

THE MAN OF SIN: IS HE THE POPES? Controversial Correspondence Between The Rev. EDWARD NANGLE, of SKREEN, IRELAND and ROBERT GOVETT of NORWICH, ENGLAND.

EDWARD NANGLE was an IRISH ANGLICAN EVANGELIST.

ROBERT GOVETT was a BRITISH THEOLOGIAN / EVANGELIST, connected to the CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Their arguments for and against the POPE (and the POPES as a group concept) being THE MAN OF SIN / THE ANTICHRIST are contained in a series of correspondence between them.

From the Preface (by Robert Govett): "It is well known that the students of prophecy are at present divided into Preterists and Futurists. With the Preterists it is a point assumed as certain, that the Popes are the Man of Sin; and out of that assumption springs the year-day theory. And then the Book of Revelation is a history of the Christian Church; and the only question is, how far have we advanced in the fulfillment of the Trumpets and Vials. But if the Popes be not the Man of Sin, the whole structure falls. Then we are free to enquire, if any portion of the prophetic part of the Apocalypse be fulfilled. Then may we be looking out for the Lord's coming without any events preceding...I am sorry that the personal element appears so much in this discussion: but there are few who will state their arguments coolly, especially after the controversy has continued for some time..."

Hardcover book, black cloth covered boards, spine lettered in gilt, 5x7 inches, iv, 364 pages.

Published by James Nisbet and Co., London, 1866.

ASSOCIATION COPY. Copy of CHARLES MORSE WARD, b.1909 d.1996, a renowned American EVANGELICAL BROADCASTER and AUTHOR. His signature and address are written at the top of the front free endpaper. Charles M. Ward was named to the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1993.

Condition: EX-LIBRARY, deaccessioned from the Central Bible College Pearlman Memorial Library, with associated stamps and labels on the covers, endpapers, title page, and stamped on the page edges. Ex-library aside, the book is in GOOD condition, the covers are worn through at the corner tips, cracked a bit at the spine folds, and have some light spine end wear; internally, there is some offsetting and light foxing to the endpapers, the inner pages are lightly age toned, the title page has had its upper corner torn off, otherwise the pages are tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

Irish and British arguing over religion? Who knew?

About ROBERT GOVETT (from Wikipedia):

******Robert Govett, b.1813 d.1901, was a British theologian and independent pastor of Surrey Chapel, Norwich, Norfolk, England. Govett wrote many books and brochures. His best known work is: The Apocalypse: Expounded by Scripture (1861-65), which he wrote under a pen name. Wilbur M. Smith said about it: One of the profoundest expositions of the book of Revelation that I know of is the work of Robert Govett. My own opinion is that he brings to his interpretation a more thorough knowledge of the Scriptures in their bearing on the last book of the Bible than any other writer of his generation.******

About EDWARD NANGLE (from Wikipedia):

******Edward Nangle, b.1799 d.1883, was a Church of Ireland minister and the founder of the Achill Mission Colony. He established a Protestant mission on Achill Island, County Mayo, in 1834 and worked there for eighteen years with the aim of bringing Protestantism to the Native Irish Christians who were impoverished in large part due to the colonial policies of the Protestant Ascendancy. Edward Nangle was involved in evangelical attempts to convert Catholics to Protestantism. He opened a Christian school on the island where children were taught reading, writing, agricultural skills and Christianity as part of a Missionary Colony.******

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PENTECOSTALS asked for FORGIVENESS by WHITES

Two rare pieces of ephemera related to the MEMPHIS MIRACLE, a conference where the WHITE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH asked AFRICAN-AMERICANS for Forgiveness, and set a path towards interacial reconciliation.

(1) PENTECOSTAL PARTNERS - A Reconciliation Strategy for 21st Century Ministry. Memphis, Tennessee, October 17-19, 1994.

A two-fold, six-panel (three on front, three on rear), 8.5x11 inch, announcement for the conference.

From the announcement: "October 17-19, 1994, will be 'red letter' days in the history of the Pentecostal Movement in America...The primary focus will be reconciliation of the African-American and Euro-American branches of the Movement...There is powerful evidence that God is answering the prayer of His Son, Jesus Christ, that His people may be one. A reconciliation dialogue will be open to the 200 participating leaders and pastors from both branches of the Movement and 1000 invited observers."

The conference of the ALL WHITE Pentecostal and Charismatic Church leaders and the ALL BLACK Pentecostal and Charismatic Church leaders went well. Some of the feet of Black church leaders were washed by White church leaders. The ALL WHITE and ALL BLACK Pentecostal Churches unified and became interracial under one umbrella, the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America.

This important meeting became known as THE MEMPHIS MIRACLE.

(2) MEMPHIS MIRACLE REVISITED - Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America, September 30 - October 2, 1996, Memphis, Tennessee.

A two-fold, six-panel (three on front, three on rear), 8.5x11 inch, announcement for the conference.

From the announcement: "Memphis was the site for the 1994 conference, as God shook the world with the MEMPHIS MIRACLE..."

CONDITION: Both items are in VERY GOOD condition, just some signs handling and use, still solid, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

About the MEMPHIS MIRACLE (from Wikipedia):

******The Memphis Miracle was a 1994 meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, where representatives of Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations and churches came together to form the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA), an interdenominational and racially inclusive partnership. The PCCNA was created to replace the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America (PFNA) which was formed in 1948 by White Pentecostal Churches, but excluded Black Pentecostal groups. The PCCNA was created to remedy the situation, and it was at the Memphis meeting that the PFNA and its members apologized to the Black Pentecostal bodies.******