Shown here is one of the earliest printed Hebrew books and the first with any portion of the Hebrew Bible. Like many Hebrew books from Italy, this copy shows the censorship instituted by the Catholic Church in 1553 following the public burning of the Talmud and other Hebrew books in cities across Italy. The historical and cultural processes over the centuries clearly play themselves out on the page displayed. A censor marked out the lines deemed offensive to the Church, which were re-written by the owner of the book into the margins. However, over time the black gall–ink of the censor’s pen has faded and, thanks to the work of the Library’s expert conservators, the original text is once again revealed.