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Selected Works

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2010

Cracow

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in History

Matai Nosad Ha-Defus Ha-`Ivri Be-Qraqov? [Hebrew: When Did Hebrew Printing Begin In Cracow?], Magda Teter, Edward Fram Jul 2010

Matai Nosad Ha-Defus Ha-`Ivri Be-Qraqov? [Hebrew: When Did Hebrew Printing Begin In Cracow?], Magda Teter, Edward Fram

Magda Teter

The article challenges the common assumption that the first Hebrew book printed in Poland was a Bible printed in 1530. They discuss a book of Selihot (prayers) now in the Ossolinski library in Wroclaw, which was fraudulently dated as published in 1532 but was most certainly published after 1537. The authors carefully establish that the assumption of the 1530 Bible was a result of a bibliographic error that was repeated by scholars over two centuries. They conclude that Hebrew printing was not established in Poland before 1534 when Shaarei Dura was published.


Apostasy, Fraud And The Beginnings Of Hebrew Printing In Cracow, Magda Teter, Edward Fram Jul 2010

Apostasy, Fraud And The Beginnings Of Hebrew Printing In Cracow, Magda Teter, Edward Fram

Magda Teter

The article investigates the mysterious history of three Jewish brothers who began a Jewish press in Cracow in 1534 and who converted to Catholicism in 1537 but continued to print Jewish books after their conversion. Their fate has fascinated scholars, since one of the brothers published a New Testament in Hebrew letter transcription, and proselytized among Jews, another continued to print both Jewish and non-Jewish books, while still another became a business man. One of the brothers returned to Judaism and printed Hebrew books in Constantinople. But scholars have been unable to match their pre- and post- conversion names, and …