1847 – Illustrated Bible & Scenes Landscapes – John Kitto | Holy Land Engravings

The Gallery of Scripture Engravings by John Kitto is a beautifully illustrated set of books filled with engravings depicting Bible scenes and Holy Land landscapes. Published in London, this work includes over 100 full-page engravings accompanied by descriptions throughout. Notable views include the Cedars of Lebanon, ancient Antioch’s city wall, and prominent Holy Land sites such as the Temple of Jerusalem and the Gygaean Lake. It also features a rather gruesome engraving of the head of John the Baptist served on a platter as it was described in the New Testament.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Gallery of Scripture Engravings: Historical and Landscape, with Descriptions, Historical, Geographical and Pictorial
• Author(s): John Kitto
• Publisher: London, Peter Jackson, Late Fisher, Son, & Co.
• Edition: [ca. 1847]
• Format: (4to), two volumes
• Binding: Leather
• Size:  11 in x 8.5 in (27.9 cm x 21.6 cm)
• Collation: Vol. I: 132 pp; Vol. III: 132 pp
• Illustrations: 128 full-page steel engravings total
• Contents Include:
  • The Cedars in Lebanon
  • Views of the Temple in Jerusalem
  • The Wall at Ancient Antioch
  • Caleb and His Daughter Achsah
  • Boaz and Ruth
  • The Gygaean Lake
  • The Great Temple at Balbec
  • The Beheading of John the Baptist

Condition:

Good. Leather bindings show moderate wear with rubbing to corners and hinges, along with some worming to the leather portions. Boards retain structural integrity; spines remain firmly attached. Internal pages clean with occasional age-toning, and all 128 plates are intact. No pages appear missing; bindings tight with moderate wear to edges consistent with age.

Why Collect This?

• Rare Victorian-era visual interpretation of biblical and historical scenes
• 128 full-page engravings across two volumes
• Of interest to collectors of biblical art

Item Number: # 29565