Rare Incunabula ; First Edition “Sha’ar HaGemul” Authored by the Ramban; Naples, 1490

Rare Incunabula ; First Edition “Sha’ar HaGemul” Authored by the Ramban; Naples, 1490

530 Years Old - Complete Copy in Good Condition

Extremely Rare, complete first edition Incunabula of the Rambam’s Sha’ar HaGemul published 530 years ago, just two years prior to the Spanish Expulsion.

The Ramban (rabbenu Moshe Ben NAchman ) Classic Sefer   discusses  concepts such as reward and punishment, Olam Hab'a Gan Eden  the essence of gehinom, the days of Mashiach, the revival of the dead and more.

A colophon on page 34 states that the sefer was completed by Yosef Ashkenazi-Gutzhoser on Rosh Chodesh Adar, 1490, in the city of Naples.

Incunables  are books that were published in the First  years of the establishment  of the print before  year 1500 

[34] leaves | 18 cm | Sephardic-Italian lettering | One column | Censorship erasures, professionally restored margins, censorship signature on page 33b | Quality white paper | New leather binding with gold engravings and matching case | Good condition, Extremely rare.

HELLO.

MY NAME IS

SHAAR HAGEMUL.

I am 530 years old.

I was printed in Naples, Italy in the year 1490,two years before the Spanish Expulsion. In 1492, many Jews who had been expelled from Spain came to Naples, including Don Isaac Judah Abarbanel. 

In 1551, when I was 61 years old, all the Jews of Naples were deported and banished, including myself.Ever since, I have been exiled and persecuted together with my brethren.

We have undergone decrees, riots and extermination; misery, wandering, and book fires in squares filled with wild crowds.In all these years and hardships, I had many good owners.I have been carefully passed on from hand to hand, from shelf to shelf, from Rabbi to student, to Synagogue, to collector. Every one of them held me with pride, opened my pages, read my lines, my words. 

I still remember when my first owner read from these pages 530 years ago; The same words that were passed on through me to hundreds of people who cherished me, learned from me and uttered the sacred words. As I grew old, I realized that not only am I passing wisdom through my words and lines, but also much wisdom lies between my lines. It tells the story of triumph, of spirit over matter. Look at me. I survived unimaginable odds, yet here I am, 530 years old, still in my pristine beauty, standing proud, because the Hebrew book is more than just the words it contains.The Hebrew book is the story of Jewish life.