How to identify a first printing
- 1888-1910s: no number line; identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice. Early JPS classics, including the English Graetz History of the Jews and the 1917 JPS Holy Scriptures, have firsts identified by the first copyright/publication year; the 1917 Holy Scriptures is a landmark with a distinct first printing.
- 1910s-1960s: explicit printing and edition statements appear inconsistently; copyright year plus the absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first. Multi-volume sets such as Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews (1909-1938) are tracked by each volume's first year.
- 1960s-1980s: number and printing-history lines emerge; the New JPS (NJPS) Tanakh translation was issued in parts (Torah 1962, Prophets 1978, Writings 1982) and then complete in 1985, so collectors track the staged firsts.
- 1980s-present: standard number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line including 1 indicates a first printing. Modern JPS titles are often co-published or distributed with the University of Nebraska Press and follow that partner's number-line convention.
Notable points & cautions
- JPS was founded (in its enduring form) in 1888 in Philadelphia and is the oldest nonprofit, nonsectarian publisher of Jewish books in English in the United States.
- It published the 1917 Holy Scriptures (the Old JPS, OJPS) and the New JPS (NJPS) Tanakh, completed in 1985 — the standard English Jewish Bible translations; the staged publication of the NJPS makes those firsts significant.
- Landmark multi-volume sets include Graetz's History of the Jews and Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews; each volume's first year should be tracked.
- A modern trade-distribution partnership with the University of Nebraska Press affects later-era copyright-page conventions.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: JPS, The Jewish Publication Society of America (historic name), JPS Tanakh / JPS Bible editions. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1888-1910s: no number line; identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice. Early JPS classics, including the English Graetz History of the Jews and the 1917 JPS Holy Scriptures, have firsts identified by the first copyright/publication year; the 1917 Holy Scriptures is a landmark with a distinct first printing. 1910s-1960s: explicit printing and edition statements appear inconsistently; copyright year plus the absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first. Multi-volume sets such as Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews (1909-1938) are tracked by each volume's first year.
Does The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) use a number line?
1910s-1960s: explicit printing and edition statements appear inconsistently; copyright year plus the absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first. Multi-volume sets such as Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews (1909-1938) are tracked by each volume's first year.
Is a book-club edition a The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. JPS was founded (in its enduring form) in 1888 in Philadelphia and is the oldest nonprofit, nonsectarian publisher of Jewish books in English in the United States.
What era does this cover?
This covers The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) (1888-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.