Joannis Seldeni [John Selden] - De jure naturali et gentium juxta disciplinam Ebraeorum libri septem - 1695

Three Jewish legal works with beautiful engraved plates.

Full title: De jure naturali et gentium juxta disciplinam Ebraeorum libri septem, [With] Uxor Ebraica, seu de Nuptiis et Divortiis ex Jure Civili, id est, Divino & Talmudico, Veterum Ebraeorum, libri tres [With] De successionibus ad leges Ebraeorum in bona defunctorum. Liber singularis in pontificatum. Libri duo.

Contemporary vellum binding with the three titles written neatly to the spine. Vellum is in very good shape, with a little darkening and marking only.

All German first editions of works previously published in London. All published by Schrey in 1695.

[1] de Jure Naturali. On Natural Law according to the discipline of the Jews. [44], 892 pages. Seven engraved plates. In Latin, with numerous texts quoted first in Hebrew or Arabic. The engraved plates following p. 298 concern the Jerusalem Temple. Other illustrations scattered throughout the text. pi²)(² *-5*⁴ A-Uuuuu2. Conforms to FirstSearch / OCLC: 23641484 with the exception that our copy ends on page 892 which states it is the end of the volume.

De jure naturali: [44], 892 pp., with 7 engraved plates of the Jerusalem Temple and text illustrations; title printed in red and black, the date on a contemporary printed cancel slip. Lacking the engraved title and the [14] leaves of index announced on the title page (cf. VD17 14:019946V). Uxor Ebraica and De successionibus complete, each with its own title and index.

[2], Uxor Ebraica. The Jewish Wife - on marriage and divorce under Hebrew law. [2], 456, [14] pages. A-Nnn3. Separate title and full index to end. Bound as seems usual with the below:

[3] De successionibus ad leges Ebraeorum. On succession and inheriting the goods of the dead under Jewish Law. [22], 248. pp. Collation OOO-Qqq2, A-Hh4. These two titles together conform to OCLC: 5188611.

Internally the work is in good, clean but slightly darkened state. Owner's signature and purchase details from 1900 to the front end paper.

John Selden (1584–1654) was an English jurist and scholar of Jewish law. John Milton hailed Selden in 1644 as "the chief of learned men reputed in this land".

21 x 17 cm

An inscription to the front gives a nice provenance. "Bought for 5 francs from the Gottlieb Geiger bookshop of Stuttgart in February 1900. From the library of Dr Alexander Fürst."
Probably Dr Alexander Fürst (1844–1898), a physician from a Jewish family in East Prussia. He trained in Königsberg and Berlin, founded a small eye hospital for the poor in Memel, served in the war of 1870–71, and from 1884 practised in Berlin.