Communes et Familiares Hebraicae Linguae Idiotismi

Antwerp Polyglot Bible, Volume VIII

by Benedictus Arias Montanus 

Antwerp:  Christopher Plantin, 1572 

Hardback is overall in VERY GOOD+ condition.

• Contemporary stiff parchment covers over thick boards. 
• Boards show some wear, smudges, scuffing, warping, edgewear.  Corners are bumped, worn,  with exposed board.  
• Spine with raised bands has traces of inked text and is worn with peeling parchment; ends are firm.
• Binding is strong.  Some splitting at shoulders of front and back covers.  See photos.  
• Pastedowns and feps have some wear, a few marks, edgewear. 
• Illustrations are bright and clear.  
• Interior exhibits some smudges at corners, light edgewear, a couple closed tears.  See photos.  
• Inside pages are free of writing and intentional marks. 
• Text block edges have stippled edges. 
• PS2024.0911

468 pages. 10.75 x 16.5 inches

A very good, complete, copy of this very important monument in printing and cartographic history.  This Polyglot Bible with text in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Syriac was prepared under the patronage of Philip II of Spain and published by Plantin Press of Antwerp between 1569 and 1572.  Benedictus Arias Montanus (1527-1598) was the editor responsible for the scholarly apparatus that established the Polyglot Bible as an achievement of scholarship.  The original biblical texts filled five volumes, with commentary and language exegesis in volumes six through eight.

Montanus also created maps and images to accompany his explanatory texts.  Fifteen engraved plates make up part of this Volume VIII, offering views of the Ark, of temple and palace building; and maps of the Ancient Near East that situate the tribes of Israel among their neighbors.  Present also is the Orbis Tabula, a two-page map of the world drawn by Montanus.

The Orbis Montanus depicts the populating of the earth, including North and South America, by Noah's descendants whose names are given in Latin and Hebrew.  This map shows a land mass in the location of Australia thirty years before the recorded European discovery of Australia.  Some scholars believe that the Spanish may have sighted Australia in the 16th century and have cited this map as evidence.  Montanus's representation of the world, adorned with sea monsters and Spanish caravels sailing the oceans, is one of the best known early maps.

This is the first state of the map, dated 1571, with Orbis Tabula. Ben. Aria Montano. Auctore printed on the reverse.  The greater number of impressions of the map from the first edition were lost at sea en route for Spain.  In state 2 the word gentes has been added below the word Iektan in the lower left panel.

The Polyglot Bible was published in an edition of 1200, 600 for the scholarly apparatus.

Details of the twenty-one parts:  Communes et familiares Hebraicae linguae idiotissimi, 1572; Liber Joseph sive, de arcano sermone, 1571; Liber Ieremiae, sive, de actione, 1571; Tubal-cain, sive de mensuris liber, 1572; Phaleg, sive, de gentium sedibus primis, 3 double-page engraved maps, 1572; Exemplar, sive, de sacris fabricis liber, 10 engraved plates (1 double-page), 1572; Aaron, sive, sanctorum vestimentorum ornamentorumque summa descriptio, engraved plate showing vestments, 1572; Nehemias, sive, de antiquae Ierusalem situ, full-page engraved map and plate, [n.d.]; Daniel, sive, de saeculis codex integer, 1572; Index biblicus, 1572; Catalogue of Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments, from the Third Council of Carthage, ca. A.D. 400; Hebraea, Chaldea, Graeca, et Latina nomina, 1571; Hispalensis de Varia in Hebraicis Libris Lectione, ...; Variae Lectiones et Annotatiunculae, quibis Thargum, id est, Chaldaica... [reading from back to front]; Variarum in Grecis Bibliis Lectionum Libellus, to Gulielmo Cantero concinnatus; Issustriss. D. Sirletti S.R.E. Cardinalis, Annotationes Variarum lectionum in Psalmos...; Variae Lectiones in Latinis Bibli Editioni Vulgatae; bound together in one volume. 

Please see photos. More photos available upon request.

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