Das Heilig Judischland mit ausztheilung der Zwolff Geschlechter

Early and beautiful map of the Holy Land by Sebastian Munster. Showing the area between Gaza and Beirut with numerous figural representations: The route of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the burning of Sodom, shepherds at the well, camel drivers, etc. The title on verso is surrounded by a beautiful woodcut border. From the German edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder, published 1574 by Heinrich Petri in Basel. The woodblock of this map was used first in Münster's Geographia Universalis in 1540.

One tiny worm holes in lower white margin around centrefold backed. Minor soiling in the margins. A very good copy on excellent paper.

Sebastian Münster was born 1489 in Ingelheim (Pfalz). First being a Franciscan, he became Professor for Theology, Hebrew and Mathematics after he converted to Protestantism in 1529. He became one of the most influencing geographers of the sixteenth century. His Cosmographia, published in 1544, spread geographical knowledge wide over Europe. It was issued in nearly 40 editions and 6 languages. Münster was the first cartographer publishing each known continent on a separate map. His second important work was the Geographia, a new edition of Ptolemys Geographia. He died May 1552 in Basel on Black Death.