1650 Lectori en Tibi Antiquam Canaan… Land of Ancient Canaan
By: Thomas Fuller
Date: 1650 (Published) London
Dimensions: 11 x 12.75 inches (28 x 32.5 cm)
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.
In this fascinating map Fuller shows the land of ancient Canaan along with various kingdoms in the vicinity. Intricately drawn vignettes are used to depict biblical events. One such vignette shows Balaam on his donkey as he is confronted by an armed angel. As the story goes, the angel bid the donkey to speak to Balaam to warn him of dangers which awaited him.
Another vignette portrays a battle between huge forces of the kings of the Jordan plain and kings of Mesopotamia. The battle took place before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Valley of Siddim, a river valley in ancient Canaan involving four kings from Mesopotamia and five kings from the Jordan plain. The Mesopotamian kings prevailed and looted the nearby cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Survivors fled to the hills and mountains of the region.
The map is embellished with a dedication to Eduardo Benlossio, the Fuller patron who financed its creation, along with his coat of arms. Below the cartouche is a decorative compass rose. In the lower right a strapwork cartouche surrounds a description of the territory in Latin, with a distance scale attached to the bottom side of the cartouche.
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 map is in B condition. Centerfold separation reinforced with archival material on the verso. Miniscule separation near lower neat line.
Inventory #12932
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622