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Rare Antique Hebrew Book: Emunat Chachamim - אמונת חכמים (Faith of the Sages) — Lemberg, 1858

Lot 39: Rare Antique Hebrew Book: Emunat Chachamim - אמונת חכמים (Faith of the Sages) — Lemberg, 1858

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Start price: £100

Buyer's premium:

A significant 19th-century Kabbalistic polemic, a rare Eastern European printing of the seminal work by Rabbi Aviad Sar Shalom Basilea, addressing the clash between Kabbalah and Philosophy.


This book, Sefer Emunat Chachamim (Book of the Faith of the Sages), is a historical edition of one of the most important works of Jewish philosophical theology from the early 18th century.

Key Bibliographical Details:

  • Title: Emunat Chachamim (אמונת חכמים)
  • Author: Rabbi Aviad Sar Shalom Basilea (c. 1680–1743), a distinguished Italian Rabbi and Kabbalist of Mantua.
  • Content: This famous polemical work defends the antiquity and necessity of Kabbalistic wisdom and the teachings of the Zohar against contemporary philosophical and rationalist opponents (such as those influenced by Maimonides and the Haskalah). The original 1730 edition was highly controversial and was even refuted by Rabbi Yaakov Emden in his Mitpachat Sefarim.
  • Printing Location: Lemberg (Lvov, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Ukraine), a major hub for Hebrew printing.
  • Year of Publication: 1858 (as identified on the title page: תרנ"ט).
  • Publisher: Druck von D. H. Schrifglesser’s Erben (Heirs of D. H. Schrifglesser).
  • Collation: The volume contains 75 two-sided sheets, totalling 150 pages, plus a final page with publisher’s information.


Condition report:

The book is in Good Antique Condition for a volume nearly 170 years old, showing heavy use consistent with its historical role as a study text.


  • Cover/Binding: Original period binding (likely half-leather or calfskin) with marbled boards, now heavily worn. Note: There is a crack or tear at the top of the spine, visible in the images, and general wear and scuffing to the leather.
  • Interior: Pages are tanned and show typical age spots (foxing), but the text remains clear and legible.
  • Historical Inscriptions: The front endpapers contain multiple handwritten notes, calculations, and possibly names in early script (Hebrew/German/Yiddish), providing a fascinating glimpse into the book\'s past owners and use.
  • Printing Quirk: As noted by the consignor, the typeface size significantly decreases starting on page 57 (as seen in the provided images). This was a common economy measure in 19th-century Eastern European printing, allowing the publisher to fit more text onto fewer, less expensive sheets.

Measurements:
Height: 21 cm
Width: 13 cm