Opus de Arcanis – Pietro Galatino – 1550 | Latin Hebrew Christian Kabbalist

Opus de Arcanis catholicae veritatis by Pietro Galatino was printed in Basel in 1550 by Johann Herwagen. The text aims to address difficult sections of the Old Testament through references to Jewish sources. Galatino, writing in Latin and Hebrew, drew on the Talmud, the Zohar, and Iggeret ha‑sodot.

This work targets theological disagreements between Christian and Jewish readings of scripture and uses Kabbalistic citations, unusual for Christian texts of the period. It reflects the broader interest in Jewish mystical writings among Christian scholars during the Renaissance.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Petri Galatini Opus de Arcanis catholicae veritatis : hoc est, in omnia difficila loca Veteris Testamenti, ex Talmud, aliisq[ue], hebraicis libris, quum ante natum Christum, tum pòst scriptis, contra obstinatum Iudaeorum persidiam
• Author(s): Pietro Galatino
• Contributor(s): Johann Herwagen; Johann Reuchlin
• Publisher: Basileae, per Ioannem Heruagium
• Edition: 1550. 2^nd edition
• Format: Folio, single volume
• Binding: Restored modern leather spine with original boards
• Size:  12.75 in x 8.5 in (32.4 cm x 21.6 cm)
• Collation: [24], 891 (i.e., 791) pp., [33]
• Contents Include:
  • Opus de Arcanis (Galatino)
  • Reuchlin’s De arte cabbalistica
  • Hebrew and Latin texts
• Provenance: Handwritten inscription from [Beata Maria Vallis Scholariae]; stamp from Convent des P.P. Dominicanis in Toulouse
• Reference(s): Adams C 2420; USTC 683604

Condition:

Near Fine. Structurally sound with restored leather spine with original boards. Secure hinges, rebacked spine. Pages show moderate toning, some staining, and occasional foxing. Text block is tight and complete.

Why Collect This?

• First edition to include Reuchlin’s De arte cabbalistica
• Printed by Heruagium in Basel
• Kabbalistic and rabbinical references in Latin and Hebrew
• Large folio format uncommon for this subject
• Relevant for studies in early Christian-Jewish polemics

Item Number: # 28866