The Land and the Book; or, Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery, of the Holy land
London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1872. Later edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. 718pp. Contemporary gilt-stamped full calf, with gold lettering and tooling on spine. Raised bands. Marbled endpapers. All paper edges marbled. Frontispiece. Vignette on title. Originally published in 1859, "The Land and the Book" is a captivating account of the author's experiences during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land undertaken in 1857. Thomson is accompanied by an unnamed individual whose questions enable the author to recount his experiences and illustrate stories from the Bible. They set out from Beirut in January riding South to Sidon and Tyre from where they cut inland and arrived in Palestine via the Hula Valley. They visited Safad, Tiberias, Nazareth and Jenin before returning to the coast at Caesarea and South to Jaffa, Ashdod and Gaza. From Gaza they turned North via Bayt Jibrin, Hebron and Bethlehem ending the journey in Jerusalem. This book is splendidly illustrated throughout with a large folded map of Palestine, 12 full page color illustrations tinted in blue, sepia and black, and over a hundred woodblocks in the text. Moderate rubbing to covers and along edges of binding. Front free endpaper inscribed by previous owner, and dated December 1872. 4 2/8" closed tear on folded map. Minor and sporadic foxing throughout the very first and very last pages. Binding in overall good, interior in very good condition. g to vg. Item #21181
About the author: William McClure Thomson (1806-1894) was an American Protestant missionary working in Ottoman Syria. After spending 25 years in the area he published a best-selling description of what he had seen in his travels. He used his observations as a means of illustrating and illuminating passages from the Bible.
Price: $150.00