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Professor Perelis' Class Views 16th Century Polyglot Bible at the NYPL

polyglot11It isn’t every day that you have the occasion to study a 16th century piece of history.  Revel students were treated to just that on Friday, April 25 when Professor Jesús de Prado Plumed, an expert from Universidad Hebraica de México, joined Prof. Ronnie Perelis’ Medieval Jewish History class and Prof. Jeffery Freedman’s Stern College class on the “History of the Book” at the New York Public Library to view the Compultense Polygot Bible, from the library’s collection.  This unique chance to view the sixteenth-century Bible provided Professor Plumed the opportunity to demonstrate how a scholar approaches and handles a rare book which has become an artifact.  He checked the binding to see if it Polyglot1was new or original (it is new).  He checked the opening pages to check for any inscriptions (there was one from early 20th century—by library staff).  He also took great care in page turning, careful to lift the pages from spots with the least wear. Printed shortly after the Expulsion, the Polyglot Bible is in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin— the product of a collaborative effort that took years to complete (1514-1520).  It includes a newly produced Latin translation of the Hebrew text (in addition to the older Vulgate Latin text by Jerome), as well a Latin translation of the Aramaic Onkelos.  The Hebrew text was prepared by Alfonzo de Zamora, an important Converso Hebraist. The Bible includes several helpful study tools, such as Hebrew roots in the margins, Hebrew vocabulary, accent marks, and a guide to Hebrew grammar.  It begins with an important introduction by the ployglot6editor that explains to the reader the utility of the work. Though it conforms to Church tradition, the ancient languages and new translations of this Polyglot Bible reflect a bold endeavor to return to the biblical text and evaluate it anew. Professor Plumed enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the intricacies of this Bible with a student body familiar with the Hebrew and Aramaic texts. Yeshiva University students were likewise fortunate to view and study this important work with a scholar of such expertise and enthusiasm. This article was written by Shalom Morris, a Revel PhD student in Modern Jewish History. This program was sponsored by the Honor's program at Stern and Yeshiva College. We wish to thank Prof.Gabriel Cwillich in particular for his assistance and support.