Carte de La Terre Sainte divisée dans Toutes ses Parties Selon le Nombre des Tribus d’Israel Avec une Liste des Eveches de la Palestine…

Palestine, once so famous, is now nothing more than a desert exposed to the incursions of the Arabs. – Remarks, upper left.

Map of the Holy Land Divided into All its Parts According to the Number of the Tribes of Israel With a List of the Bishoprics of Palestine – Approximate title translation.

This attractive antique map of Palestine shows the historic Near Eastern region under the authority of the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th/early 18th century. An interesting variety of ancient and contemporary place names are noted throughout the image, which is divided among the Biblical Twelve Tribes of Israel. Text on either side of the image lists the numerous local dioceses, while remarks in the upper left offer a brief historical summary.

The copperplate-engraved sheet was originally published in Paris as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720, but was reprinted in numerous editions until the late 1730s. The scholarly, but approachable, work was aimed at a broad audience, eager for new information during the Age of Enlightenment. The breadth of content offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science. The descriptive text (in French) and skillfully engraved maps, diagrams, and illustrations provide a fascinating window into the world of the early 18th century.