An Hebrew Grammar, Collected chiefly from those of Mr. Israel Lyons...and the Rev. Richard Grey...to which is subjoined a Praxis, taken from the Sacred Classics, and containing a Specimen of the Whole Hebrew Language: with a Sketch of the Hebrew Poetry as Retrieved by Bishop Hare.
Boston: Printed by R. and S. Draper, for the Honorable and Reverend the President and Fellows of Harvard-College, 1763.
v, [1], 83pp. Interleaved with several blank pages. Lacks the half title. 1 vols. 8vo. Nineteenth century three quarter green-dyed calf and marbled boards. Early nineteenth century ownership inscription on front free endpaper; text heavily annotated by a student (see below). Tanning, scattered foxing. Good Rosenbach American Jewish 43; Goldman, Hebrew Printing in America 172; Roth Magna Bibliotheca Anglo Judaica p. 365, #30; Evans 9514; Naip w020434; Sabin 79458, 42873. For Pulsifer: Appletons' Cyclopaedia V, pp.134-135. Item #254231
This copy bears the ownership signature of "David Pulsifer, 3d. 1830. Mar. 4." on the front free endpaper. Pulsifer (1802-1894) a noted antiquarian, historian, and expert in chirography, was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He was known for his expertise in early handwriting, and played an important role in preserving and publishing colonial New England records. Pulsifer also studied Hebrew, as is shown by this heavily used this copy. It is interleaved throughout with blank pages, many with extensive notes, though the majority of his work seems to have been done on the text leaves themselves, which contain cross-outs, corrections, and writing.
Stephen Sewall (1734-1804) was professor of Hebrew at Harvard and was one of the leading scholars of his day, specializing in Oriental languages and Hebrew. In 1761, Sewall succeeded Judah Monis as instructor in Hebrew at Harvard, a position Sewall held for more than twenty years. This is the second Hebrew grammar produced in America, preceded only by a work by Monis published in 1735. Rosenbach asserts that the Hebrew types used in it were destroyed by fire in 1764. The final twenty-three pages are comprised of a study of Hebrew poetry.
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