Arnudi (1 results)

Rare first edition, in a contemporary Lebanese binding, of this Arabic text of the seven penitential psalms by the prophet David, printed at the Arabic press of the Monastery of St John, in Khinsh ra, on Mount Lebanon. The monastery hosted the Shuwayrite Greek Catholic monastic community as well as one of the earliest Arabic presses in the Levant. It was established by the Syrian Catholic printer and engraver 'Abd Allah Z khir (1684-1748), who had started his career in Aleppo and is known as "the founder of book printing in Lebanon" (Petrova, p. 187). The press operated from 1733 to the end of the 19th century, with a focus on Catholic texts. The text of the Psalms, translated by 'Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl al-Antaki (11th century), is divided into words or shorts phrases, followed by a commentary originally written in Arabic by Father B tr s Arnudi. Though Shurrer suggests the Arabic text was possibly edited by Z khir himself, it is more likely this was done by his successor, Suleiman al-Qattan, after Z khir's death. A unique feature of this edition is the final thematic alphabetical list, which explains concepts such as Allah (god), iman (faith), R h Qudus ("Holy Spirit"), and tawba (repentance). The binding was also produced at the Monastery of St John, and we have traced a very similar binding on another Dair al-Shuwair imprint. A tipped-in manuscript leaf comes from a copy of Kit b al-saw 'ia al-kab r, the "Great Book of Hours" of the Eastern Orthodox Church, with prayers intended for the use of monasteries. BM Arabic I, p. 376; Petrova n.8; Schurrer n.296. I. Feodorov, Arabic Printing for the Christians in Ottoman Lands, 2023; Y. Petrova, "Prefaces of the 18th-Century Christian Arabic Books Printed in Khinsh ra: Structural and Thematic Features", in Icons, Ornaments, and Other Charms of Christian Arabic Books, ed. O. Iacubovski et al., 2024. Quarto (235 x 178 mm). pp. 311, [1]. Text in Arabic, within double typographical ruling. Title page within decorated typographical border, with decorative vignettes. Contemporary Lebanese brown goatskin, blind roll to borders, central gilt lozenge with fleurons motif, blind-stamped fleurons to corners, raised bands, all edges sprinkled red. Couple of contemporary numerical pentrials to front pastedown, another small, later one at foot of last leaf (blank). Binding rubbed, minor loss at head and foot of spine, and to corners, hinges strengthened, front flyleaf supplied, contents toned, couple of small worm trails to outer blank margin of last 20 leaves, lower outer blank corner of pp. 243-44 torn away, occasional minor marginal soiling or spotting: a very good, clean, well-margined copy.