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By the author of the 'Present State of the Jews'...
By the author of the 'Present State of the Jews'...
Item # 705056
July 14, 1679
THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, July 14, 1679
* Clergyman & author Lancelot Addison, D.D.
* "The Present State of the Jews" book advertisement
* Hold something in your hands from the 17th century
The back page has several "Advertisements" among which is for the publishing of a book: "The Life and Death of Mahumed, the Author of the Turkish Religion. Being an account is his Tribe, parents, etc., By L. Addison D.D. one of his Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary, and author of the Present State of the Jews. Both sold by...".
What is not included in the notice but is in the complete title, the "etc." contains: "...birth, name, education, marriages, filthiness of life, Alcoran, first proselytes, wars, doctrines, miracles, advancement, &c."
Complete as a single sheet issue, 6 3/4 by 11 inches, two wide, untrimmed margins, good condition.
AI notes: The Present State of the Jews (first published in 1675) was written by Lancelot Addison, D.D. (1632–1703), an Anglican clergyman and later Dean of Lichfield, and is one of the earliest English-language attempts to systematically describe contemporary Jewish life and religious practice. Drawing on his firsthand observations while serving as a chaplain in Tangier, then an English possession in North Africa, as well as on earlier rabbinic and Christian scholarly sources, Addison presents a detailed account of Jewish customs, ceremonies, education, legal traditions, and communal organization, with particular attention to everyday religious observance. The book includes extended discussions of the Mishnah, Talmud, and Gemara, aiming to explain their role in shaping Jewish law and belief for a Christian readership. While the work reflects the theological assumptions and limitations of a 17th-century Anglican perspective, it was regarded in its time as a serious and informative study and became an influential reference for English readers seeking to understand Judaism as it was practiced in the early modern Mediterranean world.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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