The main entrance to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center is now open. Van Pelt Library and the Fisher Fine Arts Library are currently open to Penn Card holders, Penn affiliates, and certain visitors. See our Service Alerts for details.

Home Link Icon

About the Logo of the Library at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Armillary sphere with streamer in Hebrew bearing Psalm 130, verse 5:

קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה קִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי וְלִדְבָרוֹ הוֹחָלְתִּי
"I wait for the lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope."

Printers' mark of Abraham Usque [16th century; born, Portugal - died, Ferrara, Italy (?)], a printer in Ferrara between 1553 and 1558 who was best known for the "Ferrara Bible," the first printing in Spanish of the Bible. Usque's activity was directed towards guiding former Conversos back to Judaism. Usque, himself born and baptized "Duarte Pinel," fled Portugal as a Converso in 1543.

References:

  • Yaari, Abraham, 1899-1966, Hebrew Printers' Marks [in Hebrew: Digle ha-madpisim ha-`ivriyim], no. 22, pp. 14, 133-134, Jerusalem, The Hebrew University Press Association, 1943; reprinted by: Gregg International Publishers, 1971.
  • Encyclopedia Judaica: "Usque, Abraham".
Illustration of a delicate globe-like hollow sphere with an anchor at the bottom and a ribbon tied around it.
Printers' mark of Abraham Usque (16th century)