As the High Holidays approach, the National Library of Israel is displaying a 550-year-old printed Selichot prayer book that is believed to have been printed by a woman in Italy.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The first printed Hebrew books, produced at the end of the 15^th century, were mostly study tests, but one daring printer decided to move forward and print prayer books, as well. His name was Rabbi Meshulam Kuzi, and he founded a small printing business in the Italian town Piove di Sacco.

Kuzi printed his texts in stunning "Ashkenazi letters" and intended to publish many books, but his business published only two – a book on Jewish law and commandments, and the Selichot prayers, in an Ashkenazi version.

According to the National Library of Israel, "This Selichot prayer book is effectively the first Hebrew prayer book ever printed, around 1475."

Another interesting aspect of the book is the role women played in its production. Curator of the National Library's Judaica collection. Dr. Yoel Finkelman, explains that Rabbi Meshulam's wife is believed to have been active in publishing the work.

"We know that Rabbi Meshulam passed away before it was published, and his widow, Devorah, completed the work," Finkelman notes.

"Because the precise date of the publication of the Selichot prayer is unclear, it's very possible that Devorah might have finished the work on it … It's clear that Devorah was familiar with the printing process, and it's likely that she helped her husband while he was alive," Finkelman says.

The pages of this copy of the book include evidence it was used by at least two other Ashkenazi women, who made notes about their husbands. On the first page appears a sentence signed "Mrs. Esther, daughter of Rabbi Asher," which was apparently written not long after the book was published.

"The owner of a book must write his name on it, so no one can come and make claim to it, saying 'It is mine," Mrs. Esther wrote.

Another woman wrote her name on one of the last pages, a few hundred years later.

"We know nothing about these two women, but it appears that saying Selichot before Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur was of particular importance to them. As we can see, the Christian censor worked to erase sentences that debated with Christianity or mocked it, but in the margins we can see the work of cantors and worshippers who added the missing words," Finkelman says.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Was the world's first printed Hebrew prayer book published by a woman? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The novel, titled The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel, by Israeli writer Uri Bar-Joseph, portrays Ashraf Marwan, the son-in-law of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, as a spy for the Jewish state.

 Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Khaled Lotfi has been on trial in a military court since 2018 for publishing an Arabic version of the book, two years earlier.

The publisher, accused of having "divulged military secrets," was sentenced to five years in prison despite appealing against an initial ruling, his brother Mahmoud Lotfi told French news agency AFP.

"There is no other recourse but a presidential pardon," he said.

Marwan, who also worked as an adviser to president Anwar Sadat after the death of Nasser in 1970, died in 2007 in London in mysterious circumstances.

Egyptian authorities arranged a grand funeral and Marwan was hailed as a hero.

A 2018 film based on the book, titled The Angel, was met with outrage by Egyptian media, which slated it as a manipulation of history.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS.

The post Egyptian publisher gets 5 years in prison for distributing Israeli novel appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.