Seforimchatter The Early Jewish Printed Book: Episode 1 (with Michelle Margolis)
Dec 28, 2025
Michelle Margolis, the Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia University, shares her expertise on early Hebrew printing. She delves into the fascinating mechanics of movable type and Gutenberg's significant role in transforming Jewish learning. Margolis discusses how early printing shaped community needs and its cultural impact, exploring the origins of Hebrew presses in Rome and the priorities of commentaries in print. The conversation also highlights connections between those fleeing the Inquisition and the spread of Hebrew works in the Ottoman world.
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Paper Sizes And Signature Marks Mattered
- Printers printed on large sheets folded into formats like folio, quarto, and octavo and used signature marks rather than page numbers.
- Folding determined apparent page order, requiring careful layout planning during typesetting.
Books Were Sold Unbound And Were Expensive
- Early printed books sold as folded gatherings of sheets; buyers often took them to binders separately.
- A single printed book could cost roughly a laborer's annual wage, so books remained significant investments.
Rome Hosted The First Hebrew Printers
- The first Hebrew books likely appeared in Rome around 1469–1475, produced by printers trained by German craftsmen.
- Early Hebrew prints prioritized commentaries and halakhic works rather than only biblical texts.