(1539). JOSEPH (Flavius). DE L'ANTIQUITE JUDAIQUE. - Lot 189

(1539). JOSEPH (Flavius). DE L'ANTIQUITE JUDAIQUE. Paris, Estienne Caveiller for Jehan Petit, June 4, 1539. In-4° gothic, [10]-250 ill-figured leaves, antique vellum with covers (20th century binding). The 20 books of the Antiquités judaïques are of the utmost importance for archaeology, both for the study of texts and monuments. They are followed in this edition by the Book of the Maccabees, a discourse on the family from which Josephus descended. AFTER THE SACRED CODES, THESE WORKS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TEXTS OF JUDAISM. The book, by Jehan Petit, with his mark on the title printed in red and black, is illustrated with a large woodcut showing the author in his library. The translation from Greek into Latin by Ruffin d'Aquilée, "nouvellement tournez en vulgaire françoys" is given by Guillaume Michel dit de Tours, who died in 1556. Fine Gothic printing with numerous initials, either pictorial or with a riddled background, red stains on the edges (Bechtel, p. 402) (USTC, 60561).