Beschreibung:

ABUDIENTE, Moses Gideon (1602-1688). Grammatica Hebraica parte primeira . Hamburg: 3 Elul 5393 [1633]. 8° (146 x 87mm). In Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish and Latin. Title with woodcut border, woodcut initials and tailpieces. (Some browning.) Early Turkish-style binding (flap removed), maroon goatskin, stamped arabesque centre and corner-pieces in gilt and red on front cover, spine and back cover diced (presumably a remboîtage , spine damaged, joints split). Provenance : Two unidentified Hebrew inscriptions on front blank, the upper one in cursive North African script, the lower one in square script reading "At the house of the pleasant and very honourable Samuel"; proverbial inscription in Arabic on front pastedown ("Learning is not what's in your satchel but what's in your heart"). FIRST EDITION. Moses Gideon Abudiente, poet, grammarian, theologian and ardent believer in Shabbetai Zevi, was born in Lisbon, and converted to Judaism in Amsterdam, before migrating to Hamburg, where the present work was published. Only the first part of the book was ever published: as well as explaining the rudiments of Hebrew grammar, it contains poems and eulogies by Jacob Rosales, Daniel Abudiente (the author's uncle), Ishak Abbas and Joseph Frances, as well as an imporant encomium by Dr. Baruch Nahmias de Castro of Hamburg, Court Physician to Queen Christina of Sweden. Cf. Cecil Roth A History of the Marranos , 1959, pp. 314-315; Encyclopedia Judaica V, 244-255; Kayserling Biblioteca Espanola-Portugueza-Judaica p.8; Steinschneider Bibliographisches Handbuch 11 (where the work is attributed to Selten); Steinschneider Catalogus Bodleiana pp. 1762-3, no. 6418/1 "Op. rarum".