illustrated with engraved plates and maps

A handsome five-volume set of Calmet's Dictionary of the Holy Bible, rendered into English with commentary and illustrations by the engraver and biblical scholar Charles Taylor (1756-1823).

Calmet (1672-1757) is best-known for his pioneering exegetical work, Commentaire littéral sur tous les livres de l'Ancien et du Nouveau Testaments, which departed from the custom of giving allegorical and tropological interpretations of scripture alongside the literal meaning of the text. The topics covered, from Hebrew poetry to burial customs, later formed the basis of his Dictionnaire historique et critique de la Bible,
a glossary of all the proper names mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. This edition in English contains many valuable additions by Talyor, including an extensive bibliographic essay on the history of the bible and its production in print.

Seventh edition thus; 5 vols; 4to; 203 engraved plates, including frontispiece and maps, some folding, occasional offsetting and light foxing; contemporary calf gilt, joints repaired, panels with broad gilt borders surrounding a centre panel in blind, spines in six compartments, tan morocco lettering pieces to second, black numbering pieces to third, others richly gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers and edges, some occasional foxing, a handsome set; [4], viii, 796; [4], 922, [2]; [2], vii, [1], 776; [4], v, [1], 771, [1]; [28]pp.


Graesse II, 20.