Monumenta Antiquissimae Historiae Arabum. Post Albertum Schultensium collegit ediditque cum Latina versione et animadversionibus.

Eichhorn, Johann Gottfried.

Published by Caroli Guilhelmi Ettingeri, Gothae, 1775

About this Item

[8], 216 pp +13 genealogy tables printed on 12 sheets, Latin & Arabic text, title gilt on spine, contemporary half calf, rubbed joints and extremities, green coloured edges, appendix, errata, some spotting to title and preliminary leaves and light spotting to tables at end, bookseller's ticket of Arthur Probsthain London, to front pastedown, copy in very good condition. Important first edition of the German orientalist and theologian Johann Eichhorn's text, based on the writings of Albert Schultens and containing extracts from the work of early Islamic scholar Ibn Qutaybah (828-889 CE), printed with Arabic types. [Sotheby's, Library of Camille Aboussouan, lot 304] The greater part of the book consists of extracts from Ibn Qutaibah?s historical treatise Uyun al-Akhbar. Ibn Ibn Qutaybah ( 213 ? 276 AH) was a renowned Islamic scholar. Having studied tradition and philology he became qadi in Dinawar, and afterwards a teacher in Baghdad, where he died. He was the first representative of the eclectic school of Baghdad philologists that succeeded the schools of Kufa and Basra. He was viewed as a hadith Master, foremost philologist, linguist, and man of letters. Translations of his works to European languages continued throughout the 18th and 19th century. Johann Gottfried Eichhorn (1752-1827) succeeded Michaelis (Johann David) as Professor at Göttingen in 1788. The diversity of Eichhorn's studies and labours is remarkable. He was one of the first commentators to make a scientific comparison between the biblical books and other Semitic writings. In 1775 he was made professor of Oriental languages at the Faculty of Theology at Jena University. His published abilitation lecture was about "monetary matters of the early Arabs (De rei numariae apud Arabas initiis)" on the basis of the chronicle of Makin ibn al-'Amid. Later he edited the "Briefe über das arabische Münzwesen" by Johann Jacob Reiske. As a supplement to it he compiled the first commentated bibliography of Islamic numismatics in 1786 with more than 100 pages. It is still a reference tool for numismatic literature prior to this date. Bibliographic references: J. Zenker 768; Fuck I, 768; Schnurrer 182, Camille Aboussouan. #274. Seller Inventory # 010913

Bibliographic Details

Title: Monumenta Antiquissimae Historiae Arabum. ...

Publisher: Caroli Guilhelmi Ettingeri, Gothae

Publication Date: 1775

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

Edition: First Edition