Biblia Latina, cum postillis Nicolai de Lyra et expositionibus Guillelmi Britonis in omnes prologos S. Hieronymi et additionibus Pauli Burgensis replicisque Matthiae Doering). Add: Nicolaus de Lyra: Contra perfidiam Judaeorum.

Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 1486. Hardcover. Very Good. [1486-] 1487. Part 3 (of 4). Chancery folio (305 x 205mm). Pagination: 348 leaves [near contemporary foliation in red ink throughout, though mispaginated at 188 with some worming towards end obscuring numbers]. Collation: AA-GG10, HH12, II-MM10, NN12, OO8; PP-TT10, VV-XX6, YY10, ZZ10, AAA-FFF10, GGG8, HHH8, III-MMM10, NNN8. Contents of Part 3: Isaiah (AA10-HH12), Jeremiah (II10-NN12), Book of Lamentations (Jeremiah) (OO8), Baruch (PP-PP7r), Ezekiel (PP7v-YY4), Daniel (YY5-BBB8), Hosea (CCC-DDD3), Joel (truncated) (DDD4-DDD8), Amos (DDD9-EEE6), Obadiah (EEE7-EEE8r), Jonah (EEE8v-FFF1), Micah (FFF1v-FFF6r), Nahum (FFF6v-FFF8r), Habakkuk (FFF8v-GGG3r), Zephaniah (GGG3v-GGG7r), Haggai (GGG7v-HHH2r), Zechariah (HHH2v-III6r), Malachi (III6v-III10r), and the Book of Maccabees (III10v-NNN8r), Blank NNN8v. Double columns of 56 lines of text surrounded by 72-73-line commentary, plus headlines. 16 woodcuts, of which 3 full-page, illustrating Ezekiel’s Vision (full-page on PP10r of Christ enthroned above Evangelist Symbols and Heavenly Wheel), diagrams of Solomon’s Temple and different views of gates and enclosures of the Temple (as mostly column miniatures, but some full-page on QQ6, TT6r, TT6v, TT7r, TT9v-TT10r, UU1v, XX2r, XX5r, YY1), and a full-page genealogical diagram for the Kings of Syria in the Book of Daniel (BBB2v) and half-page diagram for kings of (KKK1v). Rubricated throughout with blue and red Lombard initials, mostly over printed guide letters, extra flourished in red ink over the headlines, foliation, paragraph and signature marks. Gothic Types: 9:165G (headlines and headings), 7:83G (text). Near contemporary blind-stamped pigskin tooled with devices of stags and roses and other floreate ornaments with original brass clasps and leather straps, contemporary manuscript leaves reused
as binding waste visible in gutters; Front pastedown with added near contemporary manuscript index of 20 lines in Latin cursiva for contents books of prophets; (small marginal tear on AA1-2 and with minor loss on HH7, occasional foxing not severe, some intermittent marginal worming or browned leaves; pigskin rubbed and lacking bosses, one leather strap torn but holding, remnants of paper label on spine; otherwise a wonderful and solid incunable volume from an important set of glossed biblical commentaries). In the early 18th century, this volume was in the collection of Gallus Winckelmann (1695–1757), a Benedictine monk and scholar active at Banz Abbey in Bavaria; his note on AA1: “Coemit ad usum F. Gallus Winckellmann Prof[essus] Banth[ensis]). The early-19th century signature of “Daniel Kendig” on front endpaper above perhaps an earlier inscription noting Lyra’s commentaries. Then in England, the front pastedown with the mid-19th century bookplate of Joseph M. Lybrand (rector of Saint Paul’s Church, Camden) and America with the early-20th century labels of the Philadelphia Divinity School (their bookplate and perforated stamp, formerly collection number 4436).

This volume is part three of four in the second Koberger edition of the Bible printed in Nuremberg in 1486–87; parts one through three were undated with the fourth part dated 3 December 1487. This second edition was preceded by bible set printed by Anton Koberger in 1485. It was a monumental production incorporating the biblical commentary of medieval Franciscan scholar Nicholas de Lyra (1270–1349), with the
additions of Paul of Burgos (ca. 1351–1435) and responses to the latter by Matthias Doering (d. 1469), as well as the commentary of William the Breton (ca. 1165–1225) on the Prologues of Jerome. Part 3 of the set contained the books of the Major and Minor Prophets, along with the books of the Lamentations and Maccabees. Nicholas de Lyra’s biblical gloss, or ‘Postilla,’ encouraged much scholarly discourse throughout the Middle Ages and was frequently reprinted into the 16th century. This edition includes the famous woodcut of Ezekiel’s Vision and the various views and implements of Solomon’s Temple, which were first printed by Koberger in 1481 with the complete commentary. This copy in an early German binding has a monastic provenance at Banz Abbey. ISTC ib00614000. (Inventory #: WB16618)