Born at the turn of the eighteenth century, Johannes Simonis developed an interest in ancient languages during his early years, which he pursued in his theological studies at the University of Halle, where he also learnt Arabic and Ethiopian. After leaving the university, Simon continued a career in academia as the vice-rector of an educational institution, allowing him to publish his own writings, which were largely concerned with oriental languages.

In 1744, he was appointed as Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Antiquities at his Alma Mater. In this role, he gave lectures that incorporated information from the Old and New Testament, Classical texts, including the epics of Homer, and records in Arabic and Samaritan. His greatest success came in the form of his Hebrew-Chaldean lexicon, which he published in Latin in 1756, and which ran to numerous editions throughout the rest of the century.

Shortly before he re-joined the University of Halle, Simonis had published a philological treatise explaining the etymology, meaning, and significance of the place-names mentioned in the Old Testament, entitled 'Onomasticum Veteris Testamenti'. The work, which was published only in 1741, contained a number of engraved plates, including one highly unusual map. Not only is it one of very few pre-nineteenth century European maps to be captioned in Hebrew, but it also combines the cartographic and the symbolic in a unique way.

It shows the Holy Land in its entirety, with the territories of the Twelve Tribes partitioned, and numerous locations highlighting important toponyms discussed at length in Simonis's text. With its roots in the territory of Judah and its tendrils reaching out through the whole land, a huge grapevine extends across the entire image, its leaves bearing the names of the descendents of Jacob. The symbolism behind the vine is made clear by the inscription at the top of the frame in which the map is set, which reads "Ps. LXXX.9-12". Attributed to King David, these verses describe how God restored the Israelites to the Promised Land, and hint at the distress caused by conflict between the northern and southern tribes:

"You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. Why have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pick its grapes?" (Psalms 80:8-12).

Thus, Simonis's grapevine embodies the lineage of the Hebrew peoples and their dominion over the Holy Land, as well as alluding to the idea of fertility that the symbol is widely considered to represent.

The Halle Orphanage Johann Simonis (1698-1768) was a professor of Theology and History of the Church at Halle University, a Hebraist, Orientalist, and philologist. Founded around 1700 by a group of German Lutherans known as the Pietists, the Halle Orphanage was the base of an educational, charitable, and scientific community that still exists.