1650 Assher Pinguis Panis Ejus… Lands of the Tribe of Asher
By: Thomas Fuller
Date: 1650 (Published) London
Dimensions: 11 x 13 inches (28 x 33 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. This fascinating, engraved double-page map features the land of the biblical Tribe of Asher, the eighth son of Jacob, in what is labeled Phoenicia.
According to the Bible a western coastal region of Galilee was assigned to Asher by Joshua. The region was rich in pasture lands, wooded hills and orchards, and was known for its delicious olive oil, which brought prosperity to him and his tribe. The map features territory of the Levant from just north of Sidon in modern-day Lebanon to the Carmel Valley in northern Israel in the south. The north extends eastward to include some of the mountainous territory of Lebanon and in the southeast includes Nepthali, where a great army is seen routing the tribe, which subsequently came to be known as one of the ten lost tribes.
A vignette below the battle scene features King Benhadad, whose forces conquered three cities in the region, resulting in his controlling a major trade route in Phoenicia. On the coast to the south of Tyre is the ancient city of Ptolomais, including a large pyramid attributed to Simon Maccabeus, who built several in honour of his family members. The map is embellished with a circular title cartouche. Beneath a vignette of a seahorse is a decorative distance legend enclosed in strapwork.
The map is dedicated to Fuller’s patron Leonardo Gleane, whose coat of arms is featured in the lower right along with the dedication in Latin.
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. Uneven toning, slightly darker along lower centerfold. Minor printer’s wrinkles in places.
Inventory #12934
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