Extracts from each book of the Bible, the ethical, philosophical, and religious teachings that may be gleaned from the text by R. Levi b. Gershom (1288–1344; acronym: Ra-LBa-G; also called Maestre Leo de Bagnols; Magister Leo Hebraeus; Gersonides), mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and biblical commentator, born probably at Bagnols-sur-CIze (Languedoc - now departement du Gard, France). He lived primarily in Orange and briefly at Avignon. Little is known about his life. Ra-LBa-G had very broad intellectual interests and contributed to many areas of human learning.

 

The Hebrew printing press in Riva, which was active between 1558 and 1562 and produced about 35 titles. The press owed its success to the cooperation of three men: Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, bishop of Trent, who had jurisdiction over the town and whose coat-of-arms appears on many of the Riva publications; R. Joseph b. Nathan Ottolenghi, rabbi and rosh yeshiva at Cremona; and Jacob Marcaria, dayyan and physician, also of Cremona, who was the printer and contributed learned prefaces to his productions.