Auction 93 Part 1 - Manuscripts, Prints and Engravings, Objects and Facsimiles, from the Gross Family Collection, and Private Collections
Jerusalem Explored, Being a Description of the Ancient and Modern City, with Numerous Illustrations Consisting of Views, Ground plans, and Sections, by Ermete Pierotti. London: Bell and Daldy, 1864. English. Two volumes.
This is the English translation of the significant scholarly work by Ermete Pierotti, an Italian engineer and archaeologist, which focuses on the city of Jerusalem.
The first volume contains Pierotti's text, and the second contains 63 plates, some folded, with lithographic prints of photographs and drawings, depicting, among other sites, Mount Zion, David's Tomb, Misgav Ladach Jewish Hospital, and Absalom Tomb, and including a large panorama of Jerusalem viewed from the Mount of Olives.
Pierotti worked in Jerusalem between 1854–1861. He was employed by the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem as a consultant in renovation projects of various religious sites in the city, which were inaccessible to Western researchers (in particular the Temple Mount and the Mosque), and served as engineer in other construction projects. When "Jerusalem Explored" was published, Pierotti faced accusations of plagiarism for not providing proper credit to the photographers whose photographs he used, among other allegations.
Two volumes. Vol. I: XII, [1], 339, [1] pp.; Vol. II: [4], [63] pp. + LXIII plates. 38 cm. Good condition. Stains, wear, and minor blemishes. Erased inscription on vol. I title page. Minor marginal tears to several leaves and plates. Bookplates in the inner covers. Wear, blemishes and abrasions to bindings and spines.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, ALE.64.
Eleven reference books, including some early editions, on the Bible and the Jewish people (some in full and some including only select chapters). Europe, 1681–1764. Latin with some Hebrew, and other languages (one book in Dutch).
Eleven books, mostly accompanied by maps, including many maps of Eretz Israel, Jerusalem, and maps with Hebrew names of places, and engravings depicting the Tabernacle utensils, Jewish customs, and more.
1. Geographia Sacra (Holy Geography), by Samuel Bochart. Frankfurt am Main: Johannis Davidis Zunneri (printed by Balthasaris Christophori Wustii), 1681. Latin and some Hebrew, NHB.373.
2–3. Two books by Johann Nicolai: Tractatus De Siglis Veterum – study on early seals, including Hebrew seals (Leiden: Abrahamum de Swart, 1703); Libri IV De Sepulchris Hebraeorum – study on Jewish burial rites (Leiden: Henricum Teering, 1706). Latin and some Hebrew. Bound together. NHB.367.
4. Kanaan en d'omleggende Landen, vertoont in een Woordenboek uit de H. Schrift en Josephus, geographic dictionary of sites mentioned in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, and the writings of Josephus Flavius. Leeuwarden: François Halma, 1717. Dutch. NHB.381.
5. Apparatus Biblicus, by Bernard Lamy. Comprehensive study of the Bible and the history of the Jewish People. Venice: Laurentium Basilium, 1722. Latin. NHB.361.
6. Aphorismi, In Quibus Antiquitates Veterum Hebraeorum Brevissime Exhibentur, by János Tussai. Bern: Sumptibus Illustrissimae Reipublicae Bernensis, 1726. Latin and some Hebrew. NHB.202.
7. Dictionarium historicum, criticum, chronologicum, geographicum, et literale Sacrae Scripturae [historical, critical, chronological, geographical dictionary… of the Holy Scriptures], by Augustin Calmet. Augsburg: Philippi et Martini Veith, 1729. Latin. NHB.391.
8. Apparatus Chronologicus Et Geographicus, by Bernard Lamy. Venice: Balleoniana, 1735. Latin. NHB.380.
9. Sacri Iudaeorum Ritus Antiqui, by Johann Leonhard Reckenberger. Jena: viduae Ioh. Rudolphi Croekeri, 1740. Latin and some Hebrew. NHB.355.
10. Antiquitates sacrae veterum Hebraeorum, by Adriaan Reland. Utrecht: Ioannis Broedelet, 1741. Latin and some Hebrew. NHB.364.
11. Antiquitates Hebraicae, by Conrad Iken. Bremen: Gerhardi Wilhelmi Rumpii, 1764. Latin and some Hebrew. NHB.359.
Eleven books in 10 volumes (mostly with parchment bindings or bindings with leather spines). Sizes and conditions vary. The books were not thoroughly examined, and are being sold as is.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv.
Typus chorographicus, celebrium locorum in regno Iudae et Israhel, map of Palestine. Hand–colored engraving, from the atlas Terrarum Orbis Theatrum [Theater of the World], by Abraham Ortelius. [Antwerp: Officina Plantiniana, 1590 (engraving dated 1586)].
Map of Palestine on both sides of the Jordan River. The map depicts the central sites of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel (after sketches by Tilemann Stella) and the territories of the Tribes of Israel. The shoreline runs between Beirut in the north to el–ʻArīsh (Rhinocorura) in the south. The Dead Sea is crescent shaped. On the lower right side and the upper left side of the map, Baroque–style decorated cartouches.
Latin text on verso: "Ivdaea et Israhel".
Maps (plate): approx. 35.5X46 cm. Frame: 50.5X61.5 cm. Good condition. Blemishes to frame.
See: Laor 546.
Provenance: Private collection.
Palaestinae sive totius Terrae Promissionis nova descriptio auctore Tilemanno Stella Sigenensi, map of Palestine. Hand–Colored Engraving, from the atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum [Theatre of the World], by Abraham Ortelius. [Antwerp, 1595]. Latin.
A map of Palestine showing both sides of the Jordan River (after Tilemann Stella), delineating the territories of the Twelve Tribes and the route of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. The shoreline runs from Beirut to the Nile Delta. The Dead Sea is crescent–shaped.
A cartouche at the top left corner reads: "And thou shall remember all the way which the Lord thy G–d led thee these forty years in the wilderness…"; above the cartouche: "Deut. 8". Latin text on verso, captioned: "Palaestina".
Third variant of the Ortelius Palestine map (two other variants, with minor differences, were published in 1570 and 1579).
Engraved map: 34X45 cm (double spread sheet). Frame: 50.5X61.5 cm. Good condition.
See: Laor 541.
Provenance: Private collection.
![Abrahami Patriarchae Peregrinatio, et Vita [The Wanderings and Life of Abraham the Patriarch], hand–colored engraving, from A](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale93/253.jpg "\"The Wanderings and Life of Abraham the Patriarch\" – Abraham Ortelius")
Abrahami Patriarchae Peregrinatio, et Vita [The Wanderings and Life of Abraham the Patriarch], hand–colored engraving, from Abraham Ortelius's Additamentum IV Theatri Orbis Terrarum. [Antwerp: Plantiniana, 1590].
A map depicting the land of Canaan and northern Egypt, from Dan in the north to the Nile Delta in the south, prepared by Abraham Ortelius (after Tilemann Stella). The map appeared in the addendum to the atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", which is considered to be the first modern atlas. It illustrates the story of Abraham as recorded in Genesis and shows the territories of the various nations of Canaan. The Dead Sea is not depicted, the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma and Tzevoyim appearing instead. An inset map of the Middle East shows Abraham's route from Ur of the Chaldees to Nablus.
Three scale bars representing three different measuring methods appear on the right bottom corner. Top and bottom verses from the book of Genesis: "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you". (12:1), and: "And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession" (17:8).
Surrounding the map are 22 medallion vingettes depicting scenes from the life of Abraham, after illustrations by the Dutch artist Marten de Vos (1532–1603): departing from Ur Kasdim, Covenant of the pieces, the Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, the Binding of Isaac, the burial of Abraham and Sarah, and more. Latin text on verso (with illustrated hand–colored initials).
Engraved map: approx. 44X54.5 cm (double sheet). Frame: approx. 61.5X51 cm (double sided frame, showing both sides of the map). Good condition. Staind and minor blemishes. Few small perforations, mostly repaired with paper. Unexamined out of frame.
Literature: The Land of Israel in Maps from Madaba to Satellite (Hebrew), edited by Ariel Tishbi. Jerusalem: Israel Museum, 2001. p. 98.
Provenance: Private collection.
Iudaea seu Terra Sancta quae Hebraeorum sive Israelitarum, map of Palestine. Hand–colored engraving, from the Atlas Francois, by Alexis Hubert Jaillot. Paris: Hubertum Ialliot, 1696. Latin.
Map of Palestine on both sides of the Jordan River, depicting the territories of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The shoreline runs from Sidon in the north to Gaza in the south. The cartouche containing the heading is ornamented with a vegetal pattern, and flanked by the figures of Moses and Aaron. A medallion on the bottom of the cartouche contains an illustration of the Nehushtan. Another cartouche appears on the lower right corner of the map, illustrated with the images of Adam, Eve, the snake and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The engraving was made by Louis Cordier, after Guillaume Sanson.
Engraved map: 63X97 cm. Good condition. Fold lines.
Laor: 368.
Provenance: Private collection.
View of Jerusalem. Single leaf from the first edition of the book Rudimentum Novitorum by Lucas Brandis de Schass. Lübeck, 1475. Latin.
Leaf [10] from the book Rudimentum Novitorum, with woodcuts depicting the city of Jerusalem and its surroundings – Bethany, Emmaus, Ramatha – Ramla and Jaffa. Jerusalem is depicted surrounded by three walls with six gates, and in the margins, genealogical diagrams relating to the period of the Return to Zion.
Rudimentum Novitorum describes the world history from the viewpoint of contemporary Christian theology, and is accompanied by many illustrations; the book also includes many important maps of the world and Palestine – amongst the first printed maps, and the first map of Jerusalem (see: Laor 128).
[1] leaf. 38.5X28.5 cm. Overall good condition. Some worming and some minor marginal tears, professionally restored.
For further information, see: Andrea Worm, Mapping the History of Salvation for the "Mind's Eyes': Context and Function of the Map of the Holy Land Context in the Rudimentum Novitiorum of 1475, printed in: Visual Constructs of Jerusalem (2014), pp. 317–329.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 088.011.017.
Ierusalem Comme elle est a present, Hand–Colored Engraving. Paris: "chez Jean. rue Jean de Beauvais", [18th century]. French.
Birds–eye view of Jerusalem, seen from the east (after a map by Matthäus Merian).
A legend at the bottom of the map lists 36 significant sites in the city.
Not in Laor.
Approx. 34X51.5 cm. Frame: 53.5X71 cm. Good condition. Marginal tears. Minor creases and blemishes. Unexamined out of frame.
Provenance: Private collection.
Ierusalem, a panoramic view of Jerusalem, seen from the Mount of Olives. Engraving by Cornelis de Bruyn. [the Netherlands, ca. late 17th century].
Large panorama of the city of Jerusalem (width: 125 cm); hand–colored.
Presumably, this engraving originates from the book 'Reizen van Cornelis de Bruyn' [Travels of Cornelis de Bruyn], by painter and writer Cornelis de Bruyn (Delft: Henrik van kroonveld, 1698) – the description of a journey through Asia Minor, several Greek islands, and the cities and towns of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine.
Approx. 125X32.5 cm. Frame: 149X55.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Minor tears to margins and along fold lines. Mounted on acid–free paper for restoration and preservation, matted and framed. Minor blemishes to frame.
Laor: 967.
Provenance: Private collection.
25 lithographs and prints, depicting sites and views in Palestine and its surroundings, most of which hand-colored. Europe and the USA, 19th century [some presumably earlier].
Collection comprising 25 fine lithographs and prints, most of them hand-colored, by the most important artist who depicted Palestine and the Levant during the 19th century. The collection includes works by David Roberts, from his book "The Holy Land"; lithographs after Charles William Meredith van de Velde (Jerusalem seen from the north-east, from the book "'Le Pays d'Israel"); William Henry Bartlett (Jerusalem seen from the Mount of Olives); a photograph of the Western Wall by Ermete Pierotti (from his book "Jerusalem Explored"), and more.
25 lithographs. Approx. 23X61-43-14 cm. Condition varies. Overall good condition. Minor stains. Minor tears to some lithographs, without damage to text.
Provenance: Private collection.
“The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia, after lithographs by Louise Haghe from drawings made on the spot by David Roberts, R.A.” London: Day & Day, 1855–56. English. Six parts in three volumes.
“The Holy Land, ” monumental work by David Roberts: Copy of the first quarto–format edition. Six parts, including 248 lithographic prints after paintings by Roberts, and two maps (engravings) showing the route of his journey through the Middle East. The prints are accompanied by explanations by George Croly and William Brockedon. The lithographs illustrate buildings, ruins, churches, mosques, cities, landscapes, and holy sites from all parts of the Holy Land, Syria and Lebanon, Transjordan, and Egypt, and serve as documentation for the mission Roberts led in the years 1839–40.
From the standpoint of the print industry, “The Holy Land” represented an unprecedented accomplishment in its time, presenting hundreds of scenes of life in Palestine, printed in full folio size (approx. 60 cm.), created under Roberts’s supervision by some of the most prominent of print artists of that period. The project took almost a decade to complete, and was funded by the work’s pre–purchasers, who included Queen Victoria, the Austrian emperor, the Russian Tsar, the kings of France and Prussia, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury, and others.
The enormous size of the books – as well as the ambitious scope of the work – aroused considerable criticism among many readers, who complained that it was difficult to use and almost impossible to read. The scholar and author Titus Tobler, for instance, protested that "the work is so heavy that in order to deliver it my house, three hours away, the volumes were divided into two separate loads. It was thus possible for me to study this inconvenient thing at leisure. The scholarly world yields no benefit from it" (Titus Tobler, Bibliographia geographica Palaestinae, Leipzig, 1867. p. 229; German). In light of such criticism, the publication house decided to print an additional edition in a smaller, more easily readable format, namely the quatro format. The quarto edition was printed in 1855–1856.
Elegant copy, leatherbound with gilt impressions.
Six parts in six volumes. Volume I: [3] ff., 35 pp., [23] ff. + 1–44 plates; Volume II: [1] f., 3 pp., [22] ff. + 45–87 plates. Volume III: [1] f., 3 pp., [19] ff. + 88–125 plates; Volume IV: [1] f., 9 pp., [22] ff. + 126–68 plates. Volume V: [23] ff. + 169–212 plates; Volume VI: [20] ff. + 213–50 plates. Approx. 29 cm. Good condition. Some stains (prints mostly clean). Minor blemishes. Bookplate (“Charles J. H. Wheatley”) in each volume. Abrasions and blemishes to bindings.
See: Nathan Schur. “Sefer HaNos’im Li’Eretz Yisrael BaMe’a Ha–19,” Keter, Jerusalem, 1988, Hebrew, pp. 129–30.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, No. ALE.3.
Sinai Photographed, or Contemporary Records of Israel in the Wilderness, by Charles Forster. London: Richard Bentley, 1862. English.
A study seeking to prove the veracity of the Exodus story according to numerous Nabatean inscriptions found in the Sinai Desert. The inscriptions were documented by French scholar Lottin de Laval during his voyage in the Sinai Desert and some were published in his book, Voyage dans la péninsule arabique du Sinai et l’Egypt moyenne (1855-1859). The author of the present study, Forster, focused on the inscriptions that, according to him, were written by the Israelites, and presented translations of these inscriptions that accord with the story of the Exodus as told in the Bible. Later scholars proved that Forster allowed himself much poetic license in their translation, and even drew farfetched conclusions without a sound basis.
The book contains 18 photographs of the castings that document the inscriptions (taken by photographer A. J. Brown), mounted on plates; a photographed portrait of the author; four lithographic plates of Sinai views; numerous reconstructions of inscriptions (according to castings prepared by Victor Lottin de Laval); the map of the Israelites journeys in the desert ("Transitus Israelitarum per Mare Rubrum"), after the book by Peter Goldschmidt (ca. 1711); and a facsimile of a letter received by the author from the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Howley.
One folded plate is presumably missing at the end of the volume (table with inscription).
XX, 352 pages + [1] engraves plate + [1] facsimile (letter). 34.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Some creases and minor blemishes to margins. Leaves and plates loose (some partly detached). Two ownership inscriptions to first page. Gilt binding, blemished and worn; tears to spine.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, ALE.10.