(JUDAICA) Monis Judah Dickdook Leshon Gnebreet A Grammar of

Sale 2241 - Lot 181

Unsold

Estimate: $ 15,000 - $ 25,000

(JUDAICA). Monis, Judah. Dickdook Leshon Gnebreet. A Grammar of the Hebrew Tongue. [4], 94, [2] pages. 4to, later 1/2 calf, worn, rebacked; contemporary ink annotations, bookplate remnants on front pastedown, worming on first four leaves slightly affecting text, intermittent dampstaining, tightly trimmed with slight loss to some tables as usual; early owner's inked stamp on front free endpaper and signatures on title page. In cloth folding case and 1/4 calf slip case. Boston: Jonas Green, 1735

Set Alert for Similar Items

Additional Details

the first hebrew grammar published in america, and the first work published in America with extensive Hebrew text. Judah Monis (1683-1764) was a Portuguese-Italian Jew who received his M.A. from Harvard College in 1723. He wrote his Hebrew grammar as part of his course work. He converted to Christianity in 1722, which then enabled him to join the Harvard faculty as an instructor of Hebrew the following month. Lacking a published textbook, Monis required his students to copy the grammar out by hand for many years. Harvard and its benefactor Thomas Hollis eventually had the Hebrew type imported from London so the grammar could be published. The printer was Jonas Green (1712-1767); this was his first known book, but he later went on to a long career in Annapolis, MD.
The original owner of this copy was Samuel Greenwood, apparently of the Harvard Class of 1739, who inscribed the title page in 1736. It was later owned by James Murdock (1776-1856) who inscribed the title page upon enrolling at Yale in 1793, and later added his inked stamp; he became a noted scholar of ancient languages. Evans 3931 (calls for a preliminary leaf not noted elsewhere); Goldman 171; Rosenbach 28; Sabin 49979. with--a sixteen-page 19th-century manuscript titled "Accentuation of Heb. Words," found inserted in the volume, unsigned but apparently in James Murdock's hand.