Views of the Holy Places and Gravesites of Tzadikim in Eretz Israel, printed by R. Haim Ze'ev Ashkenazi of Jerusalem. Without imprint [possibly Thessaloniki, ca. 1843 (according to the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book]. Woodcut.
Large sheet, featuring a hagiographic map of the holy sites and Gravesites in Eretz Israel, sent to philanthropists, as means of raising funds for the benefit of the Jewish settlers in the Holy Land (an early version, without the commonly printed dedication "offering from the Holy city of Jerusalem…").
The center of the poster features schematic illustrations of the western wall, "Midrash Shlomo" and "Beit HaMikdash" (Dome of the Rock), encircled by illustrations of dozens of holy sites in Eretz Israel: the gravesites of the patriarchs, prophets, Tannaim and Amoraim, the synagogues of Safed, gravesites of Tzadikim in Jerusalem, and other cities, and more.
This wall plaque was printed in several editions during the second half of the 19th century; the present copy is presumably part of an early, if not the earliest, edition of this plaque, as indicated by several of its unique typographic features (see Hebrew description); moreover, the present plaque was created as a woodcut print rather than a lithography, as seen in subsequent versions.
Haim Ze'ev Ashkenazi, a printer by trade, immigrated to Eretz Israel, and travelled as an emissary to Morocco in 1834. Later on, he operated a printing press in Thessaloniki (1842–1853), and in different cities in the Maghreb: Algiers (1853), Oran (1856), and Tunis (1861). Therefore, it is plausible that the present sheet was printed in North Africa.

See:

• The Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, 000176986;

• NLI, 990011250980205171;

• "Offerings from Jerusalem: Portrayals of Holy Places by Jewish Artists", exhibition catalogue, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2002. No. 29;

• "Omanut VeUmanut BeErets Yisrael BaMeah HaTtesha–Esreh", Jerusalem: The Israel Museum, 1979. No. 68, 132–133;

• The Elieser Feuchtwanger Collection, no. 493.

63.5X48.5 cm. Overall good condition. Some tears along fold lines and margins, professionally and artfuly restored, with minor damage to text and illustrations.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 079.011.011.