Blaeu, Willem Janszoon. Terra Sancta quae in Sacris Terra Promissionis olim Palestina. [The Holy Land, Promised Land or Palestine]

(MAP OF HOLY LAND).

Guiljelmi Blaeuw

Amsterdam

1640

Copperplate. Hand colored. Map itself in Latin. Text of verso in French, “La Palestine.”

Laor 106B; Nebenzahl, Maps of the Holy Land (New York, 1986), Plate 42

The map is from the French edition of Blaeu’s atlas, Le théatre du monde ou nouvel atlas (Amsterdam, 1640). The actual map was drawn by Jodocus Hondius Junior, who died before its publication in 1629. After purchase of the plate, Blaeu simply replaced Hondius’ name with his own, and never bothered to update the “1629” inscription in later editions. The cartouche at bottom is flanked on both sides by Moses and Aaron and topped by an astrolabe as well as what appear to be two dogs. In the Mediterranean Sea at top there menace two mythic sea dragons, one of which is poised to assault a ship. In the Red Sea one views the remains of Pharaoh’s army. The map orients toward the west, and displays several prominent mountain ranges, here colored to provide relief. Kenneth Nebenzahl writes, “this map…helped establish the house of Blaeu as the greatest map publishing firm of the seventeenth century” (p. 117)