Lot 52
"The Holy Land" by Eugene Roger – Palestine Travelogue – Paris 1646 – Many Engravings
La terre saincte, ou Description topographique tres-particuliere des saincts lieu & de la Terre de Promission, by Eugene Roger. Paris: Antoine Bertier, 1646. French.
Eugene Roger, a French Franciscan priest, visited the Middle East in the early 19th century and even lived in Palestine. This book introduces first-hand accounts of the life in Palestine at the time (the days of Fakhr al-Din II, the emir of the Druze and the governor of Lebanon and Northern Palestine), of the varied communities (Jews, Christians and Muslims) and of holy sites and other places he visited. The book refers to Jewish settlements, including Caesarea and Arsuf, which were not mentioned in other sources (see: "On Our Settlement in Palestine in the 17th Century" [Hebrew], Yitzchak Ben Zvi, in: Zion 4, volume 7, issue 3, 1941/1942, pp. 156-171).
The book is illustrated with many engravings depicting the residents of the country (including Fakhr al-Din II), views and holy sites, including Solomon's Temple, Rachel's Tomb, The Tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, and more.
[9] ff., 166, 169-206, 211-252, 255-258, 263-440 pp, [16] ff. Missing 6 leaves (pp. 167-168, 207-210, 253-254, 259-262, including several engravings). Approx. 21.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Tears, including open tears, affecting text, restored with paper. Ink notations and scribbles. Worming, slightly affecting text. Leather-covered card binding, with gilt impressions. Blemishes and tears to binding.
