JOSEPHUS, Flavius.

Of great importance for the study of ancient Jewish history, the archeology of the canon books and the apocrypha De antiquitatibus ac de bello Judaico.

      Venice, excusit formis Bernardinus Vercellensis, sumptibus Andreae Asulani, 1502, XII Kal. Novemb.. Folio. Contemporary blindtooled half vellum over wooden boards, remnants of two brass clasps. Some initials left blank, but mostly provided in woodcuts. (14), CCLX (=261), (1) lvs.. Fine Venetian edition of Flavius Josephus's famous works on the ancient Jewish history in twenty books and on the Jewish wars in seven books, mostly published together. The present Latin translation, first printed at Augsburg by Johann Schüssler in 1470, has long been attributed to Rufinus, but was more probably made by Cassiodorus. In the first work, the classical Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (ca. 37-100) treats the ancient history of the Jews, since the creation of the world to the revolt of Judea against the Romans. This work is of great importance, not only for the study of ancient Jewish history but also for the archeology of the canon books and the apocrypha. He wrote it for a Roman public, explaining Jewish traditions to outsiders and supplying a wealth of information on Jewish customs and habits. The second work, on the Jewish war against the Romans and the destruction of Jerusalem was originally written in Hebrew, but translated by the author himself into Greek to offer it to Vespasianus. Josephus had also taken part in this war and his work is very complete and full of details on this subject. His works were highly valued, especially in the sixteenth century. Fine copy in contemporary binding, with contemp. ms. rubrication and marginal notes in red on title and in text up till leaf XVI. Contemporary ms. notes in margins and on verso last leaf, partly affected by the frayed margin: "cronologia filiorum venerandi Bartolomei sirtich (?)" dated from 1533 to 1540.- (Outer margins of title frayed and of last two lvs. dam., not affecting the text). Graesse III, p. 481; this ed. not in STC Italian, Adams, Brunet; NUC lists 1 copy.