L'Univers. Histoire et description de tous les peuples : Palestine. Description Géographique, Historique et Archéologique
Munk, Salomon
Quarto. [4], 704pp. Half red cloth over marbled paper covered boards with printed title-label laid on spine. Printer's device on title-page. Fascinating work being a geographical, historical and archaeological description of Palestine, profusely illustrated with 71 engravings (including one large folding map). Very minor age-toning/foxing throughout. Text in French. Binding and interior in overall very good condition.
About the author: S a l o m o n M u n k (1 8 0 3-1 8 6 7 ) w a s a G e r m a n - b o r n J e w i s h - F r e n c h O r i e n t a l i s t, who w a s b o r n i n G r o s s G l o g a u i n t h e K i n g d o m o f P r u s s i a . H e r e c e i v e d h i s f i r s t i n s t r u c t i o n i n H e b r e w f r o m h i s f a t h e r , a n o f f i c i a l o f t h e J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y ; a n d o n t h e l a t t e r ' s d e a t h h e j o i n e d t h e T a l m u d c l a s s o f R . J a c o b J o s e p h O e t t i n g e r . A t t h e a g e o f f o u r t e e n h e w a s a b l e t o o f f i c i a t e a s " b a ' a l 3 o r e " ( r e a d e r o f t h e T o r a h ) i n t h e s y n a g o g u e o f t h e M a l b i s h ' A r u m m i m s o c i e t y a t G r o s s G l o g a u . I n 1 8 2 0 h e w e n t t o B e r l i n , w h e r e h e c a m e i n t o f r i e n d l y r e l a t i o n s w i t h L e o p o l d Z u n z a n d w i t h t h e p h i l o l o g i s t E . W . Z u m p t , s t u d y i n g L a t i n a n d G r e e k w i t h E . G a n s . T w o y e a r s l a t e r h e e n t e r e d t h e J o a c h i m s t h a l e r G y m n a s i u m , s u p p o r t i n g h i m s e l f a t t h e s a m e t i m e b y t u t o r i n g . I n 1 8 2 4 h e e n t e r e d t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f B e r l i n , a t t e n d i n g t h e l e c t u r e s o f B ˆ c k h , H e g e l , a n d e s p e c i a l l y o f B o p p . A s n o J e w s w e r e a t t h a t t i m e e l i g i b l e f o r g o v e r n m e n t p o s i t i o n s i n P r u s s i a , M u n k l e f t t h e u n i v e r s i t y w i t h o u t t a k i n g a d e g r e e , d e c i d i n g t o g o t o F r a n c e . H o w e v e r , h e f i r s t s p e n t o n e t e r m a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f B o n n , s t u d y i n g A r a b i c w i t h F r e y t a g a n d S a n s k r i t w i t h L a s s e n . O n p a s s i n g t h r o u g h W e i m a r h e v i s i t e d G o e t h e , w h o n o t e s t h a t f a c t i n h i s j o u r n a l . I n 1 8 2 8 h e w e n t t o P a r i s w i t h t h e a s s i s t a n c e o f t h e y o u n g p o e t M i c h a e l B e e r , t h e b r o t h e r o f M e y e r b e e r . H e r e a l s o , a s i n B e r l i n , h e a t f i r s t s u p p o r t e d h i m s e l f b y t u t o r i n g , a m o n g h i s p u p i l s b e i n g A l p h o n s e a n d G u s t a v e d e R o t h s c h i l d . I n 1 8 3 8 h e w a s a p p o i n t e d c a t a l o g u e r o f H e b r e w , C h a l d a i c , S y r i a c , a n d A r a b i c m a n u s c r i p t s i n t h e B i b l i o t h Ë q u e N a t i o n a l e d e P a r i s . M u n k n o w d e v o t e d h i m s e l f t o t h e s t u d y o f t h e J u d Ê o - A r a b i c l i t e r a t u r e o f t h e M i d d l e A g e s a n d t o t h e w o r k s o f M a i m o n i d e s , m o r e e s p e c i a l l y t h e l a t t e r ' s M o r e h N e b u k i m . H e w e n t d i r e c t t o t h e A r a b i c o r i g i n a l , s u p p l e m e n t i n g t h e t e x t s h e f o u n d a t t h e B i b l i o t h Ë q u e f r o m t e x t s h e h a d c o p i e d a t O x f o r d . A t t h e s a m e t i m e h e m a d e a t h o r o u g h s t u d y o f A r i s t o t l e , w h o i s c o n s t a n t l y q u o t e d b y M a i m o n i d e s . I n t h i s w a y h e g a t h e r e d t h e n e c e s s a r y m a t e r i a l f o r h i s e d i t i o n o f t h e A r a b i c t e x t o f t h e M o r e h , w i t h t r a n s l a t i o n a n d a n n o t a t i o n s , w h i c h h e p u b l i s h e d i n t h r e e l a r g e v o l u m e s , l o n g a f t e r h e h a d b e c o m e b l i n d ( 1 8 5 6 , 1 8 6 1 , 1 8 6 6 ) . H e h a d l o s t h i s e y e s i g h t i n 1 8 5 0 w h i l e i n t h e c o u r s e o f c a t a l o g u i n g t h e S a n s k r i t a n d H e b r e w m a n u s c r i p t s i n t h e p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e l i b r a r y .
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Hardcover
Book ID: 21152
Price: $250.00
Browse by Category: Travel, Geography > Middle East