[Illustrated bible] Historie des Ouden en Nieuwen Testaments

verrykt met meer dan vierhonderd printverbeeldingen in koper gesneeden. Amsterdam, P. Mortier, 1700, 2 vols., (16),282,(8); (26),163,(11) p., both vols. with engr. frontispiece (of the French edition) and title vignette, 5 double-paged engr. maps (3x with double-paged letter print legenda), 428 illustrations on 214 engr. plates byJ. Baptist, J. Mulder and C. Huyberts after J. Goeree, O. Elliger & B. Picart, the N.T. additionally with many engr. end vignettes, original uniform marbled calfskin with, on all casings, a large gilt central ornament depicting a Cherub after the ark with double gilt border and crowned angel's heads on the four corners, ribbed spines richly gilt with the same angels in compartments, folio.

Both vols. (lightly) waterstained in margin beginning and ending, marginal worming in places and some minor defects. O.T. spine strip only affixed to bottom hinge; N.T. page 155-156 loose. Still a good, finely bound copy, from the library of theologian Oepke Noordmans (1871-1956). The frist Dutch edition of the Great Bible by Mortier, published in the same year as the first French edition. The decoration of the binding is similar to other copies of the Mortier bible, in leather as well as in vellum, so we can assume that this is an editor's binding - just like the Blaeu atlases. Interestingly, the Cherub on the Ark of the Covenant, is as described in the Torah. There, the cherubs are not right and left of the Ark (like the depiction in the Bible), but on the mercy seat. The Hebrew word li al used in this context does not mean 'next to' but 'on' or 'above'.