The Makers of Printed Books for Jews, 1505-1625: Their Roles, Practices, and Motivations

Between 1505 and 1625, approximately 2,500 books in Hebrew script were printed for Jewish readers. This production is bibliographically documented, but many questions remain about its underlying mechanisms. This project will build on rich paratextual sources (title pages, colophons, editors’ notes, etc.) across the corpus, focusing on production phases and the cultural specifics of early modern Jewish printing.

It will examine the roles of authors, editors, correctors, printers, publishers, and sponsors, and will also consider the reception of printed books and the extent to which print was accepted in Jewish society. Combining quantitative analysis with broad contextualization, it aims to redefine our understanding of this historical phase of Hebrew printing.

Team members:

Pavel Sládek

Olga Sixtová

Martina Vaníková

Ema Toušková