JUDAICA BENJAMIN BEN JONAH of Tudela Travels of Rabbi Benja

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BENJAMIN BEN JONAH of Tudela. Travels of Rabbi Benjamin . . . Through Europe, Asia, and Africa . . . Faithfully translated from the Original Hebrew; And enriched with a Dissertation and Notes . . . By the Rev. B. Gerrans. xiii, [1], 171 pages. 8vo, early 19th-century tan calf gilt, joints and top of spine worn, front joint cracked, cords intact; scattered minor foxing, 19th-century periodical cutting tipped in between pages 16 and 17. From the library of Alfred Rubens, with his bookplate. London: Printed for the Translator; and sold by Messrs. Robson et al., 1783

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first edition in english. "The earliest important work of its kind in Hebrew literature" (Sarton), the book records the author's 1160-73 travels from Spain across southern Europe and the Middle East to Baghdad and back, with details about the Jewish communities he visited and second-hand information about countries farther east. "There is no general account of the Mediterranean world or of the Middle East in this period which approaches that of Benjamin of Tudela in importance, whether for Jewish or for general history" (EJ). The original Hebrew text was first printed in 1543 in Constantinople. Sarton II, 414.