Bidspirit auction | Monumental Masterpiece on Eretz Yisrael

Monumental Masterpiece on Eretz Yisrael Sefer Tevuos Ha’aretz in German Frankfurt, 1852 * Sefer Tevuos Ha’aretz, by the pioneer on research of Eretz Yisrael in modern times, the scholar Rabbi Joseph Schwartz. This is the first edition in German. Contains many studies and historical accounts of great significance: the history and borders of Eretz Yisrael, accounts of past events and contemporary life, its people and animals, flora and inanimate nature, the identification of biblical sites, and more. The sefer is accompanied by engravings and folding plates, including: – A portrait of the author (in Oriental garb!)  – An illustration of the Western Wall – among the earliest known depictions of the Kosel  – A folded panorama of Jerusalem – appearing here for the first time, absent in earlier editions  – A large map of Eretz Yisrael (different from the English edition, Philadelphia 1850) For the sefer in this edition, the author was awarded a medal of honor by Emperor Franz Joseph! So significant was this sefer that within only seven years it was printed three times in three different languages! It first appeared in Jerusalem in 1845, followed by an English edition in Philadelphia in 1850, and here for the first time in German, translated by the author’s nephew, under the title Das Heilige Land (“The Holy Land”). Rabbi Joseph Schwartz (1805-1865) was a brilliant scholar and prolific author who conducted extensive research on Eretz Yisrael in his era. The original Hebrew sefer Tevuos Ha’aretz, which presents a contemporary geographical and historical description of the Holy Land, is considered one of the most important works ever written on the subject. He perished in Jerusalem during the plague of 1866. At his funeral, a general cessation of work was declared, and the entire city escorted him to his final resting place. Frankfurt am Main, 1852. Page Count: XIX, 452, 20 pp. + author’s portrait, [2] plates, panorama, and map. German with Hebrew quotations. Size: 21.5 cm. Condition: Good, with a few stains on the first and last leaves. New binding. Panorama size: 21.5 × 33.5 cm. Small defect in margins. Stains. Map size: 33 × 58.5 cm. Fair–good condition, with repairs and old pasted tape at fold marks, slight loss at one corner. Provenance: Kedem Auction (2020).