1650 Napthali est Cerva Emissa quae Profert Verba Elegante - The Tribe of Napthali
By: Thomas Fuller
Date: 1650 (Published) London
Dimensions: 11 x 13 inches (28 x 33 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. This fascinating, engraved double-page map features the lands of Napthali, second son of Jacob. The lands were described in antiquity as a fertile paradise.
This map focuses on the inheritance of the tribes of Napthali and of Menasseh, which occupied the northeastern Galilee region. The territory includes a range of mountains of Lebanon, from which the Jordan River has its sources. Both the Sea of Galilee and Lake Merom are included in the depiction of these lands along with areas of forested land. Merom is alleged to be the site where the Canaanite kings met and were defeated during Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and a great battle between Joshua’s forces and the Canaanites is shown just west of Merom.
Jael, a heroine of the Old Testament, is depicted hammering a tent peg into the skull of the Canaanite leader Sissera, saving the Israelites from his army. Nearby, murderers flee their victims’ blood-avengers claiming sanctuary in the city of refuge, Kadesh. The tribe's symbol, a stag, appears opposite the dedication. The map is dedicated to Thomas Bowyer, a financier of Fuller’s historical and cartographical works.
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 in the image with dark toning around the edges. Minor printer’s wrinkles in places which enter the image.
Inventory #12937
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