September 11, 2009

A Gold Mine of early first millennium Gnostic, Jewish and Christian beliefs


PRINTED 1599: THE RENAISSANCE REDISCOVERY OF THE SIBYLLINE ORACLES

Contemporary Mille Fleurs Bookbinding

The Book:

Opsopoeus, Johannes Sivylliakoi chrēsmoi hoc est Sibyllina oracvla ex uett. codd. aucta, renouata, et notis illustrata a d. Iohanne Opsopoeo … Cum interpretatione latina Sebastiani Castalionis et indice. Published: Parisijs. Cum preuilegio regis. 1599. Description: 4 Book in 1; ; 8 p. ℓ., 524, 71 (i.e. 73), [2] p., 1 ℓ., 7-144 p., 1 ℓ., vii-xxiiii, 114, [5] p. illus. 8vo., 18 x 13 cm. Notes: Title engraved within ornamental border containing publishers’ device of the Compagnie de la Grand’ Navire; border signed by K. van Mallery, engraver. (Karel van Mallery was an engraver and printdealer in Antwerp, he was a student of Philip Galle and married his daughter Catharina Galle in 1598) Greek and Latin on opposite pages.
“Oracvla magica Zoroastris” (1 ℓ., 7-144 p.) and “Oracvla metrica … a Iohanne Opsopoeo collecta. Item Astrampsychi Oneirocriticon à Ios. Scaligero digestum & castigatum” (1 ℓ., vii-xxiiii, 114, [5] p.) have secondary signatures, separate paging, and special t.-p. with publishers’ device. Early calf and With elaborate gilt Mille Fleurs design, hinges with some wear as depiected, but holding strong, some bumping to corners, a few spots,
but generally a VERY GOOD COMPLETE COPY.

This is the most significant 16th century edition of the Sibylline oracles, who rediscovery in the Renaissance caused a sensation and whose influence upon Renaissance literature has not been fully investigated in modern times. Newfound interest in the oracles has also taken route as they are viewed as valuable sources for information about early first millennium Gnostic, Jewish and Christian beliefs. Notable in the oracles are apocalyptic passages scattered throughout which at times seem like early draft of the Biblical Book of Revelation.

“The Sibylline Oracles (sometimes called the “pseudo-Sibylline Oracles”) are a collection of oracular utterances written in Greek hexameters ascribed to the Sibyls, prophetesses who uttered divine revelations in a frenzied state. Twelve books of Sibylline Oracles survive. These are not considered to be the famous Sibylline Books of Roman history, which have been lost, but a collection of utterances that were composed under various circumstances from the middle of the second century to the fifth century AD.”

“Large collections of these Jewish and Christian oracles are still in existence. When they were recovered in the 16th century, their initial publication caused a sensation among scholars. In 1545 Xystus Betuleius (Sixt Birck of Augsburg) published at Basel an edition of eight books of oracles with a preface dating from perhaps the sixth century AD, and the next year a version set in Latin verse appeared. Better manuscripts were used by Johannes Opsopoeus (Johannes Koch), whose edition appeared at Paris in 1599.” [Ref: Wikipedia]

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posted in: Rare Books