BIBLIA. Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca & latina... - Lot 277 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Lot 277
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1500 - 2000 EUR
BIBLIA. Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca & latina... - Lot 277 - Pierre Bergé & Associés
BIBLIA. Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca & latina nomina virorum, mulierum, populorum, idolorum... Paris, Robert Estienne, [1538-] 1540. large volume in-folio (416 x 279 mm) of 10 ff.n.ch., 268 ff.ch., 1 f.n.ch. (title for the Prophets), 104 ffch. and 90 ff.ch. (of which the title for the New Testament), 92 ff. (of which the title for the index). Mottled calf, spine ribbed, speckled edges (17th century binding). Renouard, Estienne, 48-49:1; Schreiber, 59; Mortimer, French, 68; Darlow-Moule, 6117. First illustrated Estienne Bible. It is decorated with 20 woodcuts in the text (one for Genesis, 11 for Exodus, and 8 for the Book of Kings). One of the few illustrated works from the press of Robert Estienne. The main purpose of this edition was the education of the faithful, far beyond the Biblia Pauperum. On the title page, Estienne thanks the Hebrew teacher François Vatable for his help in preparing the engravings showing the tabernacle and the temple of Solomon. "In the magnificent Bible which he edited in 1540, Robert Estienne, because of the susceptibility of the Parisian doctors, thus found himself offering to the learned the first truly scientific critical edition; his text reproduced an ancient edition of good quality, and the margin, with precise markings, presented a selection of the most interesting variants with the exact indication of the witnesses of each" (Dominique Barthélémy & Alexander Hulst, Critique textuelle de l'Ancien Testament, II, p. 31). "This edition contains the first printing of the Prayer of Manasses, in Greek, and Latin. It is the text of this monumental edition which became the foundation of the official Roman Vulgate. This is the only illustrated Bible by Robert Estienne, and the second of only five illustrated books which he produced" (Schreiber). Binding skilfully restored. Provenance: Collège des Capucins (inscription on the title).
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