The modern Holy Land
By PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius , 1482
£37,500
BUY

[Modern Holy Land].

Asia Holy Land
  • Author: PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius
  • Publication place: [Ulm,
  • Publisher: Lienhart Holle,
  • Publication date: 16 July 1482].
  • Physical description: Woodcut map, fine original hand-colour, old repairs to lower margins.
  • Dimensions: 430 by 590mm. (17 by 23.25 inches).
  • Inventory reference: 18404

Notes

The sumptuous edition of Ptolemy's 'Geographia' published by Lienhart Holle in Ulm in 1482 far surpassed all earlier efforts and remains one of the most important publications in the history of cartography. It was the first redaction of the 'Geographia' to be printed outside of Italy, the earliest atlas printed in Germany, the first to be illustrated with woodcuts rather than engravings, the first to contain hand-coloured maps, and the first to incorporate the five modern maps by Nicolaus Germanus to the canonical 27 Ptolemaic maps: Spain, France, Italy, the Holy Land, and northern Europe. The Ulm editions, moreover, were the first to depart from the Classical prototype by expanding the atlas to reflect more recent geographical knowledge about the size and shape of the earth.

Among the "modern maps" included in the Ulm edition, this map shows the Holy Land oriented to the southeast, as shown by the sloping lines of latitude above the image, stretching from Gaza in the south to Sidon in the north and extending into the Trans-Jordanian region. The territories of the Twelve Tribes of Israel are delineated, and a few small vignettes represent scenes from scripture, such as Jacob pitching his tent in Salem (Genesis 33:18) and King David's relocation to Hebron on the direct orders of God (II Samuel 2:1). It is based on a manuscript map, originally drafted by Pietro Vesconte and published by Marino Sanunto around 1320, and later updated by Germanus in 1482; it appeared in printed form in the Rome Ptolemy of 1478 and then both Ulm editions. In the water to the south of Carmel, the island of Atlit is labelled the "Castle of the Pilgrims", after the Crusader fortress built there in 1218, and to the north of Jaffa, the smaller island of Assur appears. As with most maps from the 1482 Ulm edition, the sea is a rich blue colour.

Bibliography

  1. Campbell, 'Earliest Printed Maps', pp. 179-210
  2. Schreiber, 5032
  3. Skelton, bibliographical note prefixed to the facsimile of the 1482 Ulm Ptolemy.

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