Subject: Jasher, Book of

This is the first rabbinical work in English translation published in North America. Published in New York in 1840 by M.M. Noah & A.S. Gould, this book is a translation of the medieval Hebrew text, *The Book of Jasher*, compiled from the Babylonian Talmud and other Jewish sources, and intermixed with Arabic legends and passages from the Bible. The book's content is divided into sections covering the pre-Mosaic period, the Mosaic period, and a smaller section on later history. The preface is by M.M. Noah. This copy is considered to be the first U.S. edition of this translation.

This 1840 edition, published in New York by M. M. Noah & A. S. Gould, represents a purported translation of the medieval Hebrew text, Book of Jasher. The book is a compilation from the Babylonian Talmud and other Jewish sources, intermixed with Arabic legends and biblical passages. The translation, though initially unattributed, is now associated with Moses Samuel of Liverpool. This edition includes a preface by M. M. Noah and endorsements from several prominent Hebraists of the time. The book is notable for its significance in Rosicrucian and Masonic circles, and its later acquisition by Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The book contains [4], xxiii, [1 blank], 267, [1 blank] pages and measures 155 x 234 cm (6 x 9 1/8 inches).

Second edition of "The Book of Jasher", translated from the original Hebrew into English. Published in New York by W. Reid Gould in 1840. This edition includes a four-page "Advertisement to the Second Edition" containing promotional blurbs from Isaac Nordheimer, H. V. Nathan (Minister of the English and German Synagogue, Kingston, Jamaica), Samuel H. Turner, and George Bush, along with favorable reviews from eleven American periodicals. The book's translation is attributed to Moses Samuel of Liverpool, though his name does not appear on the first edition published in 1840 by Mordecai Manuel Noah and A. S. Gould. The book's significance extends to Rosicrucians and Masons, and it gained prominence among Latter-Day Saints after Joseph Smith acquired a copy. The volume measures 155 x 234 cm (6 x 9 1/8 inches). The book contains some Hebrew words and phrases, and exhibits some foxing.