Auction 71 - The Collection of Rabbi Prof. Daniel Sperber

Map of Jerusalem – London, 1795 – Large, Hand-Colored Engraving

Opening: $300
Sold for: $2,250
Including buyer's premium
An exact Draught of the City of Jerusalem and the Apurtenances Belonging to the Temple, with the Genealogy of Jesus Christ... faithfully Collected out of the Holy Scriptures. Hand-colored engraving. London: I. Evans, April 29, 1795.
Bird's eye view of Jerusalem and its surroundings. An imaginary representation of the Old City of Jerusalem – the city is fortified by gates, bridges and towers and is surrounded by a moat. Solomon's Temple is positioned in the center, depicted as a fortress. Castles, fountains, gardens, animals and streams are seen inside the city. Surrounding the city are miniature illustrations of Biblical sites, figures and events.
The various sites and structures are captioned, with references to biblical verses. Printed beneath the map is a key to 25 sites marked on the map by numbers.
On the right and left of the map are twelve illustrations – the vessels of the Temple (the Ark of the Covenant, the inner sanctum, the altar, the showbread, the Menorah), the building of the Tower of Babel, Moses and Aaron with the tablets of the law, the breach of the walls of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple.
The map was drawn after a map of Jerusalem published by Robert Sayer, London 1770 (Laor 1122).
Leaf: approx. 104X67 cm (two conjoined sheets). Good condition. Fold lines and creases. Tiny holes. Minor blemishes to margins. A tear to margin, reinforced with tape. Uneven edges.
Jerusalem and the Temple – Maps and Prints
Jerusalem and the Temple – Maps and Prints