Product Details

Sepher Yezirah: A Book on Creation; or, The Jewish Metaphysics of Remote Antiquity, translated into English with a preface, explanatory notes, and glossary by Rev. Dr. Isidor Kalisch. Published in New York in 1877 by L. H. Frank & Co. This early English-language work presents the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation), an important ancient Jewish mystical and cosmological text concerned with the creation and structure of the universe through the Hebrew alphabet and numbers. The volume includes passages in the original Hebrew alongside English material, as well as Kalisch's commentary, explanatory notes, and a glossary of rabbinical words. The photographs show an 1877 edition, making this a particularly early American publication of the text. The original dark cloth binding features blind-stamped geometric decoration and “SEPHER YEZIRAH” stamped on the front board. There are also period handwritten inscriptions on the front endpaper, including Hebrew writing and a name/signature that appears to read “A. Levine.” These are retained as part of the book's history. Condition: The book shows significant age-related wear consistent with an 1877 volume. The cloth boards have rubbing, fading/discoloration, spotting, and edge/corner wear. The pages are heavily age-toned with scattered spotting/foxing. The interior binding shows age and some exposed stitching/separation along portions of the gutter, as visible in the photographs. Handwritten inscriptions are present on the front endpaper. Please examine all photographs closely for binding and page condition. Your book will be carefully packaged to ensure it arrives safely. Please review all photographs, as they are considered part of the description.