Obj. ID: 40949  Antiquitates Sacrae Veterum Hebraeorum... by Adrian Reland, Utrecht, 1741

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Fourth edition of this fascinating work on Jewish antiquities written by one of the most renown Orientalists of the 17th and 18th centuries. Some age wear on binding with calf missing on upper part of spine, covers and edges rubbed. Corners slightly bumped and rubbed. Text in Latin with some Hebrew. Binding in overall poor to fair, interior in near to fine condition. About the author: Adriaan Reland (also known as ''Adriaen Reeland/Reelant'', ''Hadrianus Relandus'') (1676-1718 ) was a Dutch scholar, cartographer and philologist. Reland was the son of Johannes Reland, a Protestant minister, and Aagje Prins in the small North Holland village of De Rijp. Adriaan's brother, Peter (1678-1714) was an influential lawyer in Haarlem. Reeland first studied in Amsterdam and enrolled at University of Utrecht in 1693. After obtaining his PhD in Utrecht he moved to Leiden where he tutored the son of Hans Willem Bentinck, later the 1st Earl of Portland. The latter invited him to move to England, but Reland declined because of his father's deteriorating health .Reland was one of the early Orientalists. He was appointed proFezsor of philosophy at the University of Harderwijk in 1699. . From 1701 onwards he was proFezsor of Oriental languages at the University of Utrecht. In 1713, he also taught Hebrew antiquities. Reland was acclaimed for his painstaking studies of Islam and linguistic research. He traced the eastward extension of Malay-like languages into the western Pacific.Although he never ventured beyond the borders of Netherland, he was also acclaimed as a cartographer. Reland died in 1718 in Utrecht of small pox.