Martin Buber / Franz Rosenzweig - Die Schrift und ihre Verdeutschung - 1936-1936

Die Schrift und ihre Verdeutschung – Martin Buber / Franz Rosenzweig

Berlin: Schocken-Verlag, 1936. 351, [1] pages. 19.3cm x 12.1cm. Hardcover in the publishers red cloth binding with a gilt lettered label on the spine, and grey-blue top edge. Includes the original cream-coloured printed dust jacket. First edition of "Die Schrift und ihre Verdeutschung" (“The Scripture and its German Translation”) compiles essential treatises, essays, and lectures by Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig. The volume serves as both an ideological manifesto and a linguistic blueprint for their monumental Verdeutschung—the lifelong project to translate the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) into German, capturing the raw, spoken poetic force of the original ancient Hebrew phrasing. Compiled after Rosenzweig's tragic, premature death in 1929, these essays systematically outline the translators' innovative theories on spoken language, rhythmic verse, and the cultural necessity of returning to the acoustic, oral roots of scripture. A paramount document of modern Jewish philosophy and theological hermeneutics, issued by the iconic German-Jewish Schocken press on the eve of the destruction of European Jewry. Scarce in its true first edition format.
The boards and spine are in Excellent condition. Some smudging and scratches on the edges. The dust jacket has some small parts chipped off at the top and bottom edges, and two tears in the top edge (see photos). Pencil markings on the recto of the front free endpaper. A picture of Buber and Rosenzweig seems to be pasted in at a later stage in the verso of the front free endpaper. There is a small crease in the top outer corner of page 183/18, and there is a small tear in the bottom margin of page 211/212, both not affecting the content. Very little browning and spotting throughout. The text is clear, the paper is crisp, and the binding is solid. Overall, an attractive copy in very good condition.