TROKI, ISAAC BEN ABRAHAM [THE KARAITE]. 1533-1594.
Sefer Chizzuk Emunah. Amsterdam: 1717. Small 8vo (149 x 96 mm). [x], 134 [i] pp. Contemporary quarter vellum over boards. Upper hinge cracked, some wear, one leaf torn with lacking text, some repairs, new spine labels.
FIRST (AND ONLY) YIDDISH EDITION. This text, translated as "Faith Strengthened," was extremely popular in Rabbinic literature as it was a strong defense of Judaism against Christianity. It professed that one should strengthen one's faith and was characterized as an anti-Christian disputation. Troki was a well-known and respected Karaite scholar whose work was well circulated. As a result of the anti-Christian polemics in the Chizzuk Emunah, his apology of Judaism, the work was circulated only in manuscript until 1681 when printed by J.C. Wagenseil in his "Tela ignea Satanae." Many versions of this text exist, as copyists modified and changed portions of the text with relative frequency. After this first edition of Wagenseil, only the Hebrew text was reprinted for Jewish use in Amsterdam in 1705. The name of the printer, however, is not mentioned. A Yiddish translation was published in Amsterdam in 1717. It is possible that the name of the printer remained unknown because of church policy. This texts represents the first Yiddish translation. Vinograd, Amsterdam 1101; Steinschneider 5301,4; Cowley 259; Zedner 362; Roest 463; Wiener 4023; see also Jewish Encyclopedia vol. XII pp. 265-66.