[Imagines historiarum S. Scripturae].

Oblong 4to: 344 engr. pl. (plate border ca. 31 x 20,5 cm) (occ. light soiling, a few pl. cut a bit too short).

Contemp. calf (sides & corners rubbed), gilt spine with 5 raised bands (joints rubbed, sm. def. at head), red leather title label. Good copy.

Very rare made-up Print Bible containing 344 engraved plates showing scenes from the Old and New Testaments, published by the Augsburg engraver and publisher Martin Engelbrecht (1684-1756). No title is present; the title label on the spine (and an inscription on flyleaf) mentions "Imagines historiaru[m] S. Scripturae". Schott mentions 320 plates with biblical scenes, published by Engelbrecht in 75 series. Each plate with caption both in Latin and German. Each plate is numbered (in Roman and/or Arabic numbering). Bound in biblical chronological order, not in numerical order, starting with the creation of the world, and ending with the apostles Peter and Paul. Each pl. with Imperial privilege in left corner, and Engelbrecht's name as publisher in right corner. Some pl. have the names of the engravers I.D. Nessenthaler, P.A. Degmair, B.S. Setletzky, W. Christian, J.S. Müller, C.F. Hörman, C. Wilhelm, P.F. Engelbrecht, and J.C. Schmidhammer after designs by I.W. Baumgartner, I. El. Ridinger, I.C. Weirman and P. Decker. The publisher M. Engelbrecht was most famous for his paper theatres, his topographical views, ornamental, costume and caricatural plates, i.a. "Il callotto resuscitato".
Ref. Schott (Der Augsburger Kupferstecher und Kunstverleger Martin Engelbrecht und seine Nachfolger), 1862-2181 (pp. 102-104) mentions 320 pl. - WorldCat (mentions 1 similar copy in Boston with 340 hand-col. pl.). - Not in Darlow/Moule, Bibles Paris, Poortman, etc.
Prov. R.D. Arents (bookpl.). - Arents de Beerteghem, Bruges noble family (armorial bookplate with motto "Rex volucrum, crux avium"). - Libr. label.