[Rarebooks] FS: RARE EPHRATA IMPRINT

[Norman Kane]

EPHRATA PRINTING].  ABDIAS, [OBADIAH], FIRST BISHOP OF BABYLON.
VON DER HISTORIA DES APOSTOLISCHEN KAMPFFS . . . [HISTORY OF THE APOSTOLIC STRUGGLE].
Ephrata, Pa.: Die Brudderschafft [The Brotherhood}, 1764.
Based on the edition of Wolfgang Lazius. First American edition.  Rebound sometime in the 20th Century in plain faux leather, first title page supplied in facsimile, separate title page and pagination for the 2nd title, "Des Jungers Nicodemi Evangelium", Ephrata, 1764. Mispaginations as noted by ESTC  W21010.  388; 52 pages. Colophon for Abdias on p.388..Last few leaves of Nicodemus chipped, with some old repairs. Tiny hole in one leaf. Former owner's name on front paste-down.  (The Historia is a work put together in the middle ages, a collection of New Testament Apocrypha, drawing on much older Apostolic material,  replete with ancient texts and traditions (many of them gnostic) from the early Christian period, and consequently of great interest to the pietistic, spiritually-minded Brethren. "The interest of the work is due to what the author claims to have drawn from the ancient 'Acta of the Apostles" and to many ancient legends," some of whIch have survived only here. Arndt #284 notes that the AAS copy is incomplete. RARE. $850.00  ($750 to the trade) + post.

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