LA SAINTE BIBLE. “La Sainte Bible, qui contient le Vieux et le Nouveau Testament. Edition nouvelle, faite sur la Version de Genêve, revue et corrigée.”

Amsterdam: Chez Louys & Daniel Elzevier, 1669. Hardcover. Very Good. 4 parts in one volume. Elephant folio (385 x 260 x 130mm). Collation: first part: [lxxxiv], 732pp., (paginated 366), 3 folding maps; second part: [iv], 324pp. (paginated 162); third part: [iv], 404pp. (paginated 202), 2 folding maps; fourth part: 140pp. (paginated 70). Signatures: *(4); a-e(6); f(8); A-Z(6); Aa-Zz(6); Aaa-Ppp(6); A-Z(6); Aa-Cc(6); Dd(8); *(2); A-Z(6); Aa-Kk(6); Ll(4); A-L(6); M(4). Engraved frontispiece (363 x 226mm) signed N. Berchem Invent.” & Matham [sic] Sculp” depicting two female figures holding “La Sainte Bible;” together with two cherubs, one holding the Ten Commandments and “Le Saint Evangile;” the latter with his foot on a skull. This spectacular frontispiece combines the works from three profound engravers of Dutch 17th century publishing activities. There are numerous engraved illustrations throughout the text, plus five added maps and plans. Four of these (Paradis terrestre (facing p. 3, part 1), Voyages des Israelites (facing p. 86, part 1), Pais de Canaan (facing p. 1 part 3), Voyages des Apotres (facing p. 68, part 3) were designed specifically for this edition by N. Berchem; the first three were executed by A. Blotelingh and the last mentioned by I. de Visscher. The fifth inserted engraving is an unsigned map of Jerusalem (facing p. 247, part 1), plus the Temple and Temple furniture, and was copied from the Polyglot Bible printed in London in 1655-57. (see Chambers, Bibliography of French Bibles II; Seventeenth Century French Language...p. 482 ff.) Woodcut printer’s device on title of Minerva, an owl and olive tree with proverbial legend “Ne extra oleas” (Nothing but the olive). Contemporary vellum, spliced or splitting in some areas otherwise holding up well, a robust volume.

La Sainte Bible printed by Louis and Daniel Elzevier of Amsterdam, has been called “without exception the most splendid French Bible ever printed” (Bibl. Sussexiana). However, Brunet, echoed by Graesse, calls is “très remarquable par sa belle éxecution typographique; mais la correction en a eté peu soignée, et les notes ne sont pas estimées.” A magnificent but not very correct edition. According to the catalogue of 1675 it was printed in four sizes of type, Imperial, France Real, Veluws Real and Grand Mediaen. It was one of the few large-format productions of the Elzevier presses, better known for their small Port-Royal New Testaments. The two printmakers who engraved Berchem’s designs for the Bible maps, Abraham Blooteling (1640-1690) and Jan de Visscher (1632-1692), were highly respected artists who lived and worked in Amsterdam. These engravers must have been acquainted, and had probably studied together in the workshop of Cornelis Visscher. Both most likely were selected, or at least approved, by Berchem as engravers of the map prints. Four of the five maps within the 1669 La Sainte Bible are ornamented with illustrations engraved from models by Berchem. Designs on the fifth map may also be by Berchem.