The Book of Protection. Being a Collection of Charms. Now Edited for the First Time from Syraic Mss.
London: Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press, 1912. First Edition. Hardcover, Octavo. (lxxxviii) (104pp) (viii)pp. Original dark-blue cloth titled in gilt on spine panel, with 27 illustrations; with translation, introduction and notes. Gives the original text and translations of a number of rare Syriac Manuscripts, which tackle everything from 'Binding False Dreams,' 'Binding the Sorcerers', 'For the Man upon whom sorcery has been practiced,' 'On the Evil Eye' to 'Ban for the fold of cattle,' 'Concerning Lunacy,' etc. Cleverly produced with the English text starting at one end of the book, and the Syriac at the other, with both ending in the middle (thus following the Western tradition of writing from left to right, and the semitic of writing right to left). The editor/translator, Sir Hermann Gollancz (1852-193), was a British rabbi and renowned Hebrew scholar whose published works included a number of critical editions and translations from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac. He clearly had an interest in the occult and mystical, and in addition to "The Book of Protection," he published important studies of "Sepher Maphteah Shelomoh," a manuscript that he hoped would give insight into the history and origins of the "Solomonic" grimoires or books of magic that are a mainstay of the Western occult tradition. Cloth a bit rubbed and with a half-inch closed tear to the front board starting at the fore-edge. Corners bumped causing a crease at the extreme top corner of the text block. Edges of boards bruised, and creases to both front and back boards which have caused corresponding cracks to the pastedowns. Armourial bookplate of Viscount Bearsted (Sir Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted, 1853 – 1927), businessman and Lord Mayor of the City of London (1902), on the front pastedown. Modern bookseller's label on front free endpaper. Edges of text block darkened and with a few marks, pages lightly toned with occasional foxing, some corners creased / dog-eared. Obviously shows evidence of age and use, but still a tight, solid G+ copy (no dust jacket). Item #69490
Sold