Holy Land by Abraham Ortelius. 1601
The Holy Land described by Petrus Laicstain and designed by Chistian Schrot. Oriented to the east. Shows the shore line from Beirut to Gaza. The shore line is distorted by many fanciful bays and promontories. Wide meanderings of the River Jordan not corresponding to the reality. The title cartouche is surrounded by biblical vignettes. Left hand bottom, Jonah is being thrown from the ship to the whale.
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598)
The maker of the 'first atlas', the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570), was born on 4 April 1527 into an old Antwerp family. He learned Latin and studied Greek and mathematics.
Abraham and his sisters Anne and Elizabeth took up map colouring. He was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke as an "illuminator of maps." Besides colouring maps, Ortelius was a dealer in antiques, coins, maps, and books, with the book and map trade gradually becoming his primary occupation.
Business went well because his means permitted him to start an extensive collection of medals, coins, antiques, and a library of many volumes. In addition, he travelled a lot and visited Italy and France, made contacts everywhere with scholars and editors, and maintained extensive correspondence with them.
In 1564 he published his first map, a large and ambitious world wall map. The inspiration for this map may well have been Gastaldi's large world map. In 1565 he published a map of Egypt and a map of the Holy Land, a large map of Asia followed.
In 1568 the production of individual maps for his atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was already in full swing. He completed the atlas in 1569, and in May of 1570, the Theatrum was available for sale. It was one of the most expensive books ever published.
This first edition contained seventy maps on fifty-three sheets. Franciscus Hogenberg engraved the maps.
Later editions included Additamenta (additions), resulting in Ortelius' historical atlas, the Parergon, mostly bound together with the atlas. The Parergon can be called a truly original work of Ortelius, who drew the maps based on his research.
The importance of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for geographical knowledge in the last quarter of the sixteenth century is difficult to overemphasize. Nothing was like it until Mercator's atlas appeared twenty-five years later. Demand for the Theatrum was remarkable. Some 24 editions appeared during Ortelius's lifetime and another ten after his death in 1598. Editions were published in Dutch, German, French, Spanish, English, and Italian. The number of map sheets grew from 53 in 1570 to 167 in 1612 in the last edition.
In 1577, engraver Philip Galle and poet-translator Pieter Heyns published the first pocket-sized edition of the Theatrum, the Epitome. The work was trendy. Over thirty editions of this Epitome were published in different languages.
Terra Sancta, A Petro Laicstain perlustrata, et ab eius ore et schedisà Chistino Schrot in tabulam redacta.
Item Number: 28669 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Asia > Holy Land
Old, antique map of Holy Land, by Abraham Ortelius.
Title: Terra Sancta.
A Petro Laicstain perlustrata, et ab eius ore et schedis à Christiano Schrot in tabulam redacta.
Oriented to the east.
Cartographer: Peter Laicksteen / Christian Schrot.
Date of the first edition: 1584.
Date of this map: 1601.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Map size: 365 x 500mm (14.37 x 19.69 inches).
Sheet size: 445 x 535mm (17.52 x 21.06 inches).
Verso: Latin text.
Condition: Original coloured, excellent.
Condition Rating: A+
References: Van der Krogt 3 - 8150:31D; Van den Broecke - #173; Laor - #543; Meurer (Ortelius) - 106; Karrow - 1/153
From: Ortelius A.,Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Abrahami Ortelii Antverp. Geographi Regii. Antwerpen, Plantin Press, 1601. (Van der Krogt 3, 1:052)
The Holy Land described by Petrus Laicstain and designed by Chistian Schrot. Oriented to the east. Shows the shore line from Beirut to Gaza. The shore line is distorted by many fanciful bays and promontories. Wide meanderings of the River Jordan not corresponding to the reality. The title cartouche is surrounded by biblical vignettes. Left hand bottom, Jonah is being thrown from the ship to the whale.
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598)
The maker of the 'first atlas', the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570), was born on 4 April 1527 into an old Antwerp family. He learned Latin and studied Greek and mathematics.
Abraham and his sisters Anne and Elizabeth took up map colouring. He was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke as an "illuminator of maps." Besides colouring maps, Ortelius was a dealer in antiques, coins, maps, and books, with the book and map trade gradually becoming his primary occupation.
Business went well because his means permitted him to start an extensive collection of medals, coins, antiques, and a library of many volumes. In addition, he travelled a lot and visited Italy and France, made contacts everywhere with scholars and editors, and maintained extensive correspondence with them.
In 1564 he published his first map, a large and ambitious world wall map. The inspiration for this map may well have been Gastaldi's large world map. In 1565 he published a map of Egypt and a map of the Holy Land, a large map of Asia followed.
In 1568 the production of individual maps for his atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was already in full swing. He completed the atlas in 1569, and in May of 1570, the Theatrum was available for sale. It was one of the most expensive books ever published.
This first edition contained seventy maps on fifty-three sheets. Franciscus Hogenberg engraved the maps.
Later editions included Additamenta (additions), resulting in Ortelius' historical atlas, the Parergon, mostly bound together with the atlas. The Parergon can be called a truly original work of Ortelius, who drew the maps based on his research.
The importance of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for geographical knowledge in the last quarter of the sixteenth century is difficult to overemphasize. Nothing was like it until Mercator's atlas appeared twenty-five years later. Demand for the Theatrum was remarkable. Some 24 editions appeared during Ortelius's lifetime and another ten after his death in 1598. Editions were published in Dutch, German, French, Spanish, English, and Italian. The number of map sheets grew from 53 in 1570 to 167 in 1612 in the last edition.
In 1577, engraver Philip Galle and poet-translator Pieter Heyns published the first pocket-sized edition of the Theatrum, the Epitome. The work was trendy. Over thirty editions of this Epitome were published in different languages.
Related items
Parergon map
Abrahami Patriarchae Peregrinatio, et Vita. 1612
The Holy Land by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 28921]
Carte de la Terre Sainte Divisée dans Toutes ses Parties selon le nombre des Tribus d'Israel. 1719
Holy Land, by Zacharias Châtelain.
[Item number: 29383]
Luxury colour
Palestina, sive Terrae Sanctae Descriptio. 1666
The Holy Land by Joannes Janssonius.
[Item number: 29972]
Terra Chanaan Ad Abrahami tempora, per populos XI Item per toparchias Idumeae Totidem et Stationes XLV. ad Mosis Tempora Seu Tabula digesta ad libros Genes. Exodi. Levit. Numer. et Deuteron. 1651
Historic map of the Land of Canaan from the time of Abraham up to the time of Moses, by Philippe de la Rue, published by Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 30053]
Palestinae Delineatio Ad Geographiae Canones Revocata. 1641
Holy Land - Jerusalem by Philippe Briet, published by Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 30056]
Regnum Iudeorum In Filios Herodis Magni. 1651
Historic map of the Kingdom of Judea in the time of Christ, by Philippe de la Rue, published by Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 30060]
Terra Promissa in Sortes seu Tribus XII Distincta. 1651
The Promised Land divided among the 12 Tribes, by Philippe de la Rue, published by Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 30061]
Geographiae Sacrae ex Veteri et Novo Testamento desumptae Tabula Secunda: in qua Terra Promissa, sive Iudaea in suas Tribus Partesq, distincta. 1665
Holy Land by Nicolas Sanson.
[Item number: 30105]
Regnum Salomonicum Seu Tabula digesta ad Libros Judicum, Regum, Paral. et Prophetarum. 1651
Historic map of the Kingdom of Solomon divided into 12 provinces, by Philippe de la Rue, published by Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 30106]
Pinax Geogpaphicus [sic] Patriarchatus Hierosolymitani [...] 1651
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, by Philippe de la Rue, published by Pierre Mariette.
[Item number: 30120]
Superb old colouring, heightened with gold.
Het Beloofde Landt Canaan door wandelt van onsen Salichmaeker Iesu Christo, neffens syne Apostelen. 1663
Holy Land by Nicolaas Visscher.
[Item number: 30535]
Superb old colouring, heightened with gold.
Perigrinatie ofte Veertigh-Iarige Reyse der Kinderen Israëls. 1663
Holy Land, by Nicolaes Visscher I.
[Item number: 30538]
Holy Land map from the very rare van Liesveldt Bible
Die ghelegentheit ende die palen des lants van Beloften. 1532-1560
Holy Land by van Jacob van Liesveldt.
[Item number: 30549]