Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 1534
Flavii Iosephi. Antiquitatum Iudaicarum. libri XX, ad utera exemplaria diligenter recorniti. De Bellow Iudaico libri VII, ex collatione Graecorum codicum castigatiores quam unquam ante redditi. Contra Apionem libri II, pro corruptiss. Antea, iam ex Graeco itidem non solum emendati, sed etiam suppleti. De Imperio Rationeis sive de Machabaeis liber unusa Des. Erasmo Roterdamo recognitus. Cum Incide copiosissimo. Basileae in Officina Frobeniana An. M D XXXIII. Cum gratia & privilegio Caesareo in annos IIII. 1534.
Folio in 18th full brown leather, respined, with 18th century spine laid down. Raised bands, gold text, ornamentation, and heraldry on spine. Leather chipped at corners, which were tightened at time of rebacking. Red speckled page edges. Hinges cracking. Binders waste focally and faintly visible through paste downs. Watermarks on end papers, one having been partially traced in ink by an early owner. A few other additional stray marks on end papers. Small area of brown spatter (ink?) on title page. Scattered underlining and marginalia in an early hand throughout. Nn corners folded. Otherwise, a clean, bright, and tight copy with margins well-retained.
Ffep, title – alpha6, beta – gamma6, a – z6, A – X6, Y8, Z6, Aa – Yy6, Zz10, Rfep.
Ffep, title [34] 839, rfep.
Provenance: Binding stamped with the arms (“Veritas Vincit”) of the Premonstratensian abbey of Tongerlo, located near Westerlo (~40 km southeast of Antwerp).
Born Joseph ben Matthias to a family of priests, and a priest himself, Josephus was taken to Rome as a prisoner when Jerusalem was destroyed. He later adopted the name of the emperor, becoming Flavius Josephus. In A.D. 70 he marched on Jerusalem with Titus, the son of Vespasian. After, her retired to Rome and became a citizen. He was an eyewitness to much of the history he wrote. (Josephus: The Complete Works. 1998).
Hieronymus Froben was the son of John Froben (taught by John Amerbach), one of the greatest printers of his time, ranking with Koberger and Aldus. Hieronymus carried on his father’s business. (Oswald. A History of Printing. 1928).
