Dottrina Cristiana [.]. Tradotta prima dalla lingua Italiana nell'Araba, ed ora per ordre della Sag. Congr. di Propaganda Fide tradotta, e stampata anche in lingua Etiopica.

Large 4to (184 x 243 mm). (2), 3-97, (1) pp. With 4 woodcuts on 3 plates, 1 full-page woodcut on the reverse of the title page, and a few woodcut vignettes. Contemporary vellum with giltstamped spine title. All edges sprinkled in red. Later edition of the famous Arabic version of Robert Bellarmino's catechism (an abridgment of his 1598 "Dichiarazione piu copiosa della dottrina christiana"), translated by the Maronites Vittorio Scialac (d. 1635) and Gabriel Sionita (1577-1648) and first published in 1613 by the Roman Typographia Savariana as their first book printed with Arabic types. The present edition is the first to include an Ethiopian version, making this the only Ethiopian version published (printed with the Arabic and Italian text in three columns). "Les pages 94, 95 et 96 sont un syllabaire thiopien et h braique" (de Backer/S.). The woodcuts show Christ's annunciation, birth, resurrection, and crucifixion. - Insignificant paper defect to title page repaired; binding slightly warped. From the library of Swedish antiquarian bookdealer Bj rn L wendahl (1941-2013). - Sacy 1274. De Backer/Sommervogel I, 1195.