1650 Holy Land Pars Tribus Ephraim Shual Bemjamin
By: Thomas Fuller
Date: 1650 (Published) London
Dimensions: 10.75 x 13.5 inches
This striking map of the Holy Land is one of a series from the monumental opus of Thomas Fuller, an atlas entitled Pisgah-Sight of Palestine and the confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament acted thereon. The atlas was published in English and is often referred to as the first true Biblical atlas. Pisgah refers to Mount Pisgah, the mountain in the Bible from which Moses saw the Promised Land for the first time.
While featuring many of ancient Israel’s twelve tribes, this map focuses primarily on the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and Iudah (Judah). The River Jordan is depicted on the eastern edge of the territory, from just south of its source on the slopes of Mount Hermon and extending to its terminal point, the Dead Sea. Territory to the west is filled with myriad vignettes depicting scenes from the Bible, as well as featuring cities well known from antiquity.
The cities, including Jerusalem and many smaller cities and towns are all drawn in detail. Battles, large groups of armed soldiers on the march, along with the sites of the Biblical parables are all depicted in remarkable detail. The stoning of an individual whose arms are bound, a hill covered with gallows and corpses, a tumulus marked as that of prophets are but a few of the other vignettes of the map.
Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) was a loyalist English clergyman, scholar, and writer known for his preaching and beloved for his humor and quick wit. 'A Pisgah Sight of Palestine' was Fuller's historical and geographical description of the Promised Land, written while he was under forced exile during Oliver Cromwell's rule. His work was financed by donors, and each map is dedicated to one of them, containing the heraldic crest along with the name of a donor.
Fuller modelled his maps on the work of Christian van Adrichom, a 16th-century Dutch priest and surveyor, adding his own aesthetic touches with illustrations and decorative marks. Despite the cartouches, embellishments and fancies, the maps reveal a genuine attempt to convey precision and accuracy, based on Fuller’s interpretation of biblical and classical authors. It is the first genuine attempt in English to convey in textual and cartographic form the geography of the Holy Land, along with conveying much history of the region.
Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) was an English historian, clergyman, and writer who produced many works in addition to his Biblical atlas entitled Pisgah-Sight of Palestine and the confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament acted thereon, including The Church -History of Britain (1655) and Worthies of England (1662). His works are known for their use of original sources and antiquarian information. The Church-History of Britain included the first detailed account of the decades before the civil wars. Worthies of England was the first biographical dictionary in English and included a catalog of the notable features of every county in England. Fuller was a prolific author and one of the first English writers to earn a living from his writing. He was a chaplain to the Royalist army during the fighting, and later became a friend of Izaak Walton, another leading biographer.
Condition: This on map on watermarked paper is in B+ condition. Toning of all edges. Three printer’s creases enter the image. Minor separation of one crease repaired with archival material on verso.
Inventory #12929
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