Apparatus Biblicus: or, an Introduction to the Holy Scriptures

Large quarto. XXVIII, 540pp. Original gilt-stamped calf, with gold lettering on spine. Raised bands. Marbled endpapers. Engraved frontispiece. Vignette on title page. Title in red and black lettering. Decorative head-, tailpieces, and initials. Originally published in 1696, "Apparatus biblicus" is a development of the author's "Introduction à la Lecture de l'Ecriture Sainte" (1689). In this work he calls in question the historical character of the Book of Tobias and the Book of Judith, and maintains that even after the Council of Trent a difference of authority should be recognized between the proto-canonical and deutero-canonical books of the Bible. This work examines also subjects such as the history of the Hebrews and the Holy Land, a description of the Tabernacle and Temple, a history of the scriptures, and a great many tangential matters like the plants, animals, minerals, diseases, and customs mentioned in the Bible. Illustrated with thirty striking copper plates (including frontispiece), with a folding map of the known world. This work is divided into three parts: 1) Of the Origin, History, and Antiquities of the Jews; 2) Of the Canon; 3) Of the False Gods, together with an Explanation of Scriptural Names. Many of the plates are folded, and some depict the following views: Map of the World; Noah's Ark; the Tower of Babel; Map of the Holy Land; Plan of the Ancient City of Jerusalem; the Ark of the Covenant; the Temple; the High Priest; the Great Sanhedrim; etc. Head and tail of spine chipped. Rubbing along edges of binding. Front hinge starting, but front board still firmly attached. Minor to moderate age-toning/foxing to very first and very last pages. Minor worming and water-staining to upper margin of the last hundred pages (not affecting text or plates). Binding in overall fair, interior in good+, plates in very good condition. About the author: Bernard Lamy (1640-1715) was a French Oratorian mathematician and theologian.…