A New Universal History of the Religious Rites, Ceremonies, and Customs of the Whole World, or A Complete and Impartial View of all the Religions, by William Hurd. Printed for Alexander Hogg, London, [1780?]. English.
Willian Hurd's study of the ceremonies and customs of various religions, with 60 engraved plates and an engraved frontispiece.
Hurd covers, among other things, the religious customs of the Jews, the Japanese and the Native Americans. The chapter dealing with the Jews surveys the principles of Judaism and is accompanied by fine engraved plates depicting the raising of the Torah scroll, the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, the search for leavened bread, a Jewish Portuguese wedding and more.
IV, [3], 6-122, 125-704 (p. 704 misnumbered 1704), XII, [4] pp + [61] engraved plates. 36 cm. Good condition. Stains to several leaves (engraved plates mostly unaffected). Wormholes, mostly small (slightly affecting text on last pages). Leather-covered binding, spine gilt-embossed, slightly damaged. Tears along spine and its edges. Front board partly detached.