R. Jacob b. Reuben Ibn Zur (1673–1752), rabbi, scholar, and poet; born in Fez. Among his teachers were R. Menahem Serero and R. Vidal Zarfati. Oppressive taxation induced R. Ibn Zur to move to Meknes, where he became a member of the bet din of R. Judah ibn Attar. Between 1738 and 1740 he moved to Tetuan where he also served on the bet din. At an advanced age, he ordained five of his students, who later became known as the "Court of Five" (bet din shel hamishah). R. Ibn Zur's works include responsa of considerable historical value. Some were published in the collection Mishpat u-Zedakah be-Ya'akov (Alexandria, 1894). Others are found in the works of his contemporaries and several hundred remain unpublished. He also wrote Et le-Khol Hefez, a poetical miscellany (Alexandria, 1893).

His other works, still in manuscript are: Et Sofer (Ms. Berlin), specimens of contracts, documents and form letters, most of which were published in R. Abraham Ankawa's Kerem Hemed; Leshon Limmudim, specimens of letters and essays (Ms. Berlin); and sermons and Bible commentaries. A large number of R. Ibn Zur's piyyutim are included in various collections, both printed and handwritten, of Moroccan zemirot and are among the most popular poetical creations of the Moroccan Jews.

The Israel Mehlmann copy with his bibliographic notes on fly.

The Haham, Moses Gaster copy with his stamp[ on title.

Daniel Bomberg, the son of an Antwerp merchant, can be referred to as the father of the printed Babylonian Talmud. Indeed, among his many accomplishments are the first printing of Babylonian Talmud (1520-23) and the Jerusalem Talmud (1522-23, a beautiful copy in this auction), the first Mikra’ot Gedolot (1515-17), the first Alfas (1522), the first Kariate printed book (1528-29). Why the Christian (Calvinist) Bomberg printed Hebrew books is a subject of many bibliographers’ articles. He was associated with Felice da Prato, an apostate who subsequently became a friar, who influenced him to print Hebrew books. Israel Mehlman assumes that proselytism played a role in the process, albeit a small one. The activities of Bomberg on behalf of the Jewish community were not limited by printing. The British Jewish historian, Cecil Roth, writes that Bomberg helped Marranos find refuge in Turkey. He is recorded as having fought for and obtained certain rights for his Jewish workers denied other Venetian Jews.

Ibn Zur: EJ; J. M. Toledano, Ner ha-Ma'arav (1911), index; idem, Ozar Genazim (1960), 167; J. Ben-Naim, Malkhei Rabbanan (1931), passim