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.

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.

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, 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.