Isaac ben Abraham Akrish was a prominent collector of books and publisher of rare rabbinic works in the sixteenth century. He was born in Salonica, where his family settled after fleeing Spain when the Jews were expelled in 1492. Akrish led the life of a wanderer, and claimed to have honed his debating skills by conversing with intellectuals of various religions encountered on his journeys. Eventually, he found a community of scholars to his liking in Egypt, joining the household of Rabbi David ibn Abi Zimra (Radbaz) and tutoring his grandchildren. An avid bibliophile, Akrish spent his …