Selected Theological Library

which relate to this place and the great difference between them, which requires of me that I narrate those things distinctly and for this reason constitute three classes: the first of the editions of the code of both Testaments, mostly exhibiting the divine oracles only in that language in which God took care for them to be consigned: the second of the versions of the books, divinely written: the third of the Bibles, as they are called, polyglot, rabbinic, and glossed.

Thus, the reason for the prescribed order requires that I first enumerate the editions of Sacred Scripture which exhibit only the Hebrew or Greek text. There is a variety of those which are of the Hebrew code, and it is permissible to divide them into classes as well and recount them distinctly. For if we look to those under whose auspices and care the Hebrew code came forth, we owe some editions to the industry of the Jews: others to Christian men, and when we look at the age in which each saw the light, they are either older or more recent. Nor should the difference be neglected which intervenes between the editions of the Hebrew code, such that some are provided with points: others lack them. Among the Jews, they took care to have the entire Hebrew code written out in letters:

SONCINATES, a very famous family of Jews, which indeed originated from Germany; but took its seat in the city of Soncino in Lombardy, situated between Cremona and Brescia, and from there gained its name and retained it, even though afterwards some of them migrated to other cities of Italy, Bologna, Brescia, Rimini, and they were the first of all to exercise the art of printing, if you look at Hebrew letters. They are to be read: BARTOLOCCI, Bibliotheca Orientalis, Vol. I, p. 432; CHEVILLIER, On the origin of printing in Paris, Part III, Chap. 3, p. 264; MAITTAIRE, Annales Typographici, Vol. II, Part I, p. 139; WOLF, Bibliotheca Hebraea, Part I, p. 1029, Part II, p. 942, Part III, p. 1013. whose triple edition is to be noted in this place: the first came forth in Soncino, 1488, fol. WIDEKIND, Verzeichnis von raren Büchern Catalogue of rare books, p. 529; CLEMENT, Bibliothèque curieuse, historique et critique, Vol. IV, p. 27. by the authority and counsel of Joshua Solomon ben Israel Nathan,