Biblia. Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca & Latina nomina virorum, mulierum, populorum, idolorum, vrbium, fluuiorum, montium, caeterorúmque locorum quae in Bibliis leguntur, restituta, cum Latina interpretatione

Paris: Ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi Regii, 1540. Third edition, and the first with these illustrations. Printer’s device on title pages, woodcut illustrations in text, including 5 (full-page), ornamental initials. [10], 268; [1], 104 [i.e. 103, error in pagination omitting leaf 83]; 90; 92 ff. Collation: *10 a-z⁸ A-I⁸ K-L⁶ Aa10 Bb-Mm⁸ Nn⁶ AA-KK⁸ LL10 2a-2l⁸ 2m⁴. Early manuscript annotations. 1 vols. Folio (17x11-1/4 inches). Contemporary blindstamped pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, title stamped on the upper cover, lacks bosses, hinges and clasps, upper joint cracked, darkening to spine, other wear. Early vellum manuscript waste at inner (truncated) hinges. Minor staining, minor foxing, a few scattered edge tears. Provenance: Christopher Jonas a Taubenheim [?] (early inscription mentioning commentary by Rabbi Moses ben Nahman Gerondi); Polling Monastery (armorial bookplate); Duplum Bibliothecae Regiae Monacensis; General Theological Seminary (stamps, bookplate). Third edition, and the first with these illustrations. Printer’s device on title pages, woodcut illustrations in text, including 5 (full-page), ornamental initials. [10], 268; [1], 104 [i.e. 103, error in pagination omitting leaf 83]; 90; 92 ff. Collation: *10 a-z⁸ A-I⁸ K-L⁶ Aa10 Bb-Mm⁸ Nn⁶ AA-KK⁸ LL10 2a-2l⁸ 2m⁴. Early manuscript annotations. 1 vols. Folio (17x11-1/4 inches). The third and finest folio edition of Latin Vulgate Bible prepared by scholar/printer Robert Estienne (1503-59). Though the edition was entered into the Vatican’s Index of Prohibited Books, and is correspondingly scarce, ultimately this text served as the foundation of the official Roman Vulgate. The illustrations of Noah’s ark, the Tabernacle of Moses, and Temple of Solomon were widely copied.

The general title page and the Prophetae are dated 1540; that of the New Testament is dated 1539; and that for the Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca & Latina Nomina … cum Interpretationis and Index is dated 1538. "The text was revised from additional MS sources; a list given at the end of the preface enumerates at least 16 MSS and 3 printed editions. This edition contains the first printing of the Prayer of Manasses, in Greek and Latin. It is the text of this monumental edition which became the foundation of the official Roman vulgate …” (Schreiber). The text of the Oratio Manassae is printed here for the first time (leaf v8v).

This is a tall and generally well preserved copy with good margins. Darlow & Moule 6117; Renouard, pp. 48-9, no. 1; Copinger 275; Schreiber, Estiennes, 359; Adams B1022; Mortimer, French 16th cent., 68 (Inventory #: 372229)