A series of twenty-four views illustrative of the Holy Scriptures. Selected from Sir Robert Ainslie's celebrated collection of drawings in Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Corinth, Ephesus [...]. Engraved and coloured by, and under the direction of J. Clarke. With a geographical and historical account of each view.

Folio: 8 pp., [24] pl. (closed marg. tear to 4 first ff.).

Bradel beige cardboard, ms. label on spine, a.e.g. Some traces of wear otherwise pl. in good condition.

Complete with 24 aquatinted and handcol. plates, platemark +/- 19 x 25 cm, unsigned, English captions, on vellum paper watermarked "Whatman 1809". Engr. by Clarke after a selection of drawings by the German-Italian orientalist artist Luigi Mayer (1755-1803), commissioned by R. Ainslie (c. 1730-1812), Scottish ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, orientalist and numismatist. L. Mayer was the most accurate draughtsman of the Near East before David Roberts. With colourful views of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Bethany, Corinth, Rhodes, Samos, Ephesus, Laodicea, Cnidus and some representations of biblical places: pool of Bethesda, fountain of Siloam, sepulchre of the Judges of Israel, tomb of Absalom, etc. According to Abbey, "its difficult to date this book". An edition dated 1833 also exists. Ref. Abbey, Travel, 382. Prov. [Georges Petit].