Daniel Bomberg

Daniel Bomberg (* 1470/80 in Antwerp, † 1549 ) was a Flemish printer and publisher of Hebrew books during the Renaissance. The Jewish Encyclopedia describes him as " one of the greatest Hebrew book printer of all time ."

Life

Bomberg was born 1470-1480 in Antwerp, in 1516 went to Venice and began with the publication of annotated and unannotated Rabbinic Bibles (large Bomberg Bible, Venice 1524/1525, mainly on the basis of the text of the Masoretes Aaron ben Asher, who is also the had found approval of Maimonides ).

He was also the first editor of the complete edition of the Babylonian Talmud ( 1520-23, and the second edition was completed in 1531 ) and found that - since he himself was a Christian - Jewish scholars to, could edit the Jewish religious literature. Until 1549, he published over 200 works in Hebrew.

His first edition fixed by introduction of the Folio Census, the outer shape of the prints of all subsequent editions of the Babylonian Talmud to the present: each text beginning of a treatise on sheet 2 because sheet 1 is the title page reserved. Front and rear side each vane are called " a" and " b" is counted. The page layout remains the same in all editions, as well as the addition of the Rashi commentary on the inside of the text and the Tosafot on the outside.

Bomberg was wealthy and had enjoyed a good education. He even spoke Hebrew, and was highly respected among the Jews. In 1539, he had to return to Antwerp, where he died.

Works

• The Talmud editions of Daniel Bomberg. A comprehensive collection of all the tractates of the four editions by Bomberg, Vence, 1520-1549 on microfiches, IDC, Leiden 1995 ff 1 - 1995 (175 microfiche )
• 2 - 1996, (144 microfiche )
• 3 - 1998, (112 microfiche )
• 4 - Guide, 2000
• 5 - Supplement, 2000, ( 1 microfiche)