Physique Sacree: ou histoire-naturelle de la Bible.
Scheuchzer, Johannes Jakob (Jean-Jacques), Jean-André Pfeffel (eds.).
8 volumes bound in 4. Contemporary marbled full leather with stamped gold borders. Rebacked in modern stamped, gold-tooled spines, maroon leather title-labels with gold lettering. Raised bands, dentelles, all gilt edges. Marbled endpapers, ribbon marker. Frontispiece. Title-pages printed in red and black, illustrated with a total of 760, mostly copper-plate engravings, of which 750 are numbered as listed in index. 5 of the plates are printed on double-page, the rest is in full-page. Johann Jakob Scheuchzer's French translation of the Bible, based on the Latin Vulgate and the Geneva versions, along with ample natural science commentary. In the introduction, Scheuchzer writes, "I have for many years been teaching in my public lectures the texts of the Holy Writings, in relation to the principles of modern philosophy... I have attached for your viewing the sanctity of the Revelation, to the degree that we can discover it in the beauty of Nature." Scheuchzer's extensive commentary, along with 760 illustrations turned into engravings by Jean-André Pfeffel, attempts to provide a highly physical, naturalistic treatment of Biblical events. The commentary (with references to previous Christian and Jewish commentators including Thomas Acquinas, RaLBaG "Gershonides", St. Ambroise, and many others) attempts to relate the Bible to every known aspect of natural philosophy, from astronomy, physics, geometry and mathematics, to paleontology, biology, geography, etc. For instance, Scheuchzer uses recently discovered fossils as evidence of Deluvian (pre-Flood) natural conditions. Even in the more personal sections of the Biblical narrative, Scheuchzer describes every scene in a highly visual, physical manner. The engravings, labeled in Latin and German, with the original artist's name cited at the bottom, depict fauna, flora, fossils, parts of animals, dimensions of objects, etc. Beginning of first volume contains a list and brief biographies of all of the commentators referred to by Scheuchzer (24pp.), as well as a list of all of the original artists engraved by Pfeffel. Additional 8 half-page engravings, each at the beginning of every volume, as published. Final volume contains several appendixes: an extensive alphabetical index of terms (70pp.), an alphabetical index of commentator references, "cited or refuted" (5pp.), and an index of plates with their corresponding in-text page numbers. Text in French, with some Latin and German, and individual words in Hebrew. Minor age wear to bindings. Actual bound volumes do not correspond to rebacked modern labels ("Tom I" contains actual vols. 1, 2; "Tom II" contains vols. 5, 6; "Tom III" contains vols. 3, 4; "Tom IV" contains vols. 7, 8). Sporadic pencil markings to some pages throughout. Some red underlining on page 265 in Vol. VII. Inside largely clean and tight. Tight, complete set in very good condition.
Edition: First French edition
Book ID: 18707
Price: $12,500.00