Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
'All My Books in Foreign Tongues': The Oriental Bequest of Joseph Scaliger and the University Library of Leiden

'All My Books in Foreign Tongues': The Oriental Bequest of Joseph Scaliger and the University Library of Leiden

Van Ommen, Kasper
Der Weduwen, Arthur

Hardcover

Medieval & Renaissance HistoryGeneral Reference

ISBN10: 9004701516
ISBN13: 9789004701519
Publisher: Brill
Published: Feb 7 2025
Pages: 362
Weight: 1.71
Height: 1.00 Width: 6.30 Depth: 9.60
Language: Arabic
In 1609, the renowned scholar Joseph Scaliger (1540-1609) bequeathed 'all my books in foreign tongues' to the library of Leiden University. Scaliger's gift marked the foundation of the extensive Oriental collections in Leiden. How and why did Scaliger collect these rare and precious books? The books and manuscripts, printed and written in Hebrew, Arabic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Russian, and other non-western languages, were kept separate from the rest of the collection of Leiden University Library in an ornamental cupboard: the Arca Scaligerana.

This study offers the first systematic exploration of the printed books in Scaliger's bequest. The books remain extant in Leiden University Library, albeit spread across the collection. By reconstructing the collection, we gain a deeper understanding of Scaliger's extensive scholarly network, the development of oriental philology, the early modern book trade, and the early modern use of catalogues and the development of libraries.

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