Author: URSINUS, Johannes Heinrich and Christophorus ARNOLDUS.
Title: De Zoroastre Bactriano, Hermete Trismegisto, Sanchoniathone Phoenicio, eorumque, scriptis, & aliis, contra Mosaicae scripturae antiquitatem ...Nürnberg, Michael Endter, 1661. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With 6 decorated woodcut initials, 7 headpieces built up from typographical ornaments, and 5 tailpieces (2 built up from typographical ornaments, 3 woodcuts). Contemporary overlapping vellum.
Description: [16], 240; 71, [1 blank] pp.First and only edition of an important work of Hermeticism, which analyses the works of Hermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster, and Sanchuniathon, and compares them to the Mosaic scriptures. Caillet calls it an "Ouvrage d'érudition catholique", but the work also discusses magic and the occult, the science of Adam, astrolatry, the mages from the Gospel, the library of Alexandria, and the Sibylline books. The second part of the work, written by Christophorus Arnoldus (dates unknown) discusses the same subjects.Johannes Heinrich Ursinus (1608-1667) was a humanist and Lutheran theologian from Speyer, Germany. He was a rector in Mainz and the Dean of Regensburg. He authored a large number of works. His most well-known one is Arboretum biblicum (1663), which was the first attempt of note to create an alphabetical list of all the botanical references in the Bible. Likely because of this, the plant genus Ursinia was named after him in the 18th century.With an ownership annotation on the recto of the first free flyleaf ("MWegel(?) by") and another on the verso of the second free flyleaf ("NWuttke 1869"). The vellum is somewhat soiled and the manuscript title on the spine has faded. With a horizontal tear in the front pastedown, the work is browned throughout. Otherwise in good condition.l Brüning 2058; Caillet III, 10946; Rosenthal 867; USTC 2623071; VD17 39:118402K; not in Duveen.

Keywords: [BFFF1D78AE20] HISTORY, LAW & PHILOSOPHY|[BFFF1D78AE20] HISTORY, LAW & PHILOSOPHY -> [G24E98WD4H26] Philosophy & Esotericism|[E51AD6E3D609] SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY|[E51AD6E3D609] SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY -> [317088CF6DBC] Alchemy, Astrology & Occult|