Beschreibung:

Bochart Samuel, “Geographiae Sacrae”, Cadomi (Caen) Cardonelle, 1651. Second edition of the the most influential geographical work of the 17th century. Folio (35x24cm), [26]p.,864p.,[88]. Engraved title, in its back there is a printed dedication, in Greek, to Bochard by Stephanos (a Greek monk). Complete with 4 double page plates of maps containing all Bochart’s original 13 maps. Bochart (15991667) was a famous Protestant Theologian and Geographer of the 17th century. His Sacred Geography is the first systematic effort to approach the ancient geography of the Bible, by attempting to identify the actual position of the Biblical places. His original manuscript (now in BNF) was written in the 1630s and contained 13 maps. He lived in Caen (Normandy) and there he managed to publish his work after 10 years of efforts. The result was an impressive printing achievement, as five alphabets (Latin, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew and Ethiopian) had been used in a single publication for the first time in history. Due to high printing costs, he embedded his 13 maps in just 4 plates. The success was remarkable and the work was reissued in a second revised edition in 1651, while luxurious editions (with 13 plates) followed in 1692 and 1707 after the death of Bochart. Contemporary full calf, richly gilt, slightly rubbed at corners of spine and front join. Very light marginal waterstains in few pages. A clean and very good copy. Bochard’s master work on Sacred Geography in its second edition with the Greek dedication on back of the title (not in the first edition), a proof of the success of the work in contemporary circles.