Cunaeus - De Republica Hebraeorum - 1617

The Constitution of the Ancient Hebrews: Israel and the Political Thought Based on the Talmud
First Edition - Beautiful Elzevirian edition of De republica Hebraeorum by Petrus Cunaeus, one of the key texts of early 17th-century Europe dedicated to the political reading of the Bible, in which the history of Israel is interpreted as a complete model of religious and civil constitution. In an era marked by religious wars, the crisis of monarchical authority, and the experimentation with new forms of republican government, Cunaeus reinterprets Scripture using modern philological, legal, and historical tools, transforming Mosaic law into a theoretical laboratory on mixed government, sovereignty of law, and institutional discipline. Printed by the Elzevir workshop, a symbol of typographic rigor and international dissemination of knowledge, the work combines biblical erudition with political ambition, positioning itself at the crossroads of Jewish studies, public law, and modern political philosophy.
Market value
In the antique market, sixteenth-century Elzevir editions of 'De republica Hebraeorum' generally range between 700 and 900 euros, with fluctuations depending on the condition of the binding, the freshness of the pages, and the typographical completeness. Copies with clear text, correct readability of Greek and Hebrew quotations, and an intact typographic mark on the frontispiece are particularly appreciated by collectors.

Physical description and condition
Loose binding in parchment with handwritten title on the back in dark ink, with damages and signs of wear. Typographic woodcut mark on the frontispiece and initials engraved in the text. Text in Latin with quotations in Greek and Hebrew. Browned pages, with stains, small marginal tears, and widespread signs of use. In ancient books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description. Pages: (2), 32 unnumbered, 538, 2 unnumbered, (2).

Full title and author
Petri Cunaei On the Republic of the Hebrews, Book III.
Leiden Batavorum, at Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1617.
Petrus Cunaeus

Context and Significance
The treatise fits within the framework of the so-called Mosaic policy, which interprets the law given to Moses as a rational constitutional system, historically effective and capable of ensuring civil stability. Cunaeus, a professor at Leiden and educated in the Protestant scholarly environment linked to Joseph Scaliger, uses biblical, rabbinic, and classical sources to demonstrate that the Jewish republic was based on the balance of powers, on the impersonal authority of the law, and on the civic virtue of citizens. In this way, Israel becomes a historical paradigm useful for reflecting on the relationships between religion and state, divine law and human organization, exerting a lasting influence on Dutch political thought and European reflection between the 17th and 18th centuries.

Biography of the Author
Petrus Cunaeus was born in 1586 and died in 1638. A Dutch jurist and humanist, he was a professor at the University of Leiden and a student of Joseph Scaliger. His studies ranged from Roman law to Jewish history, with the aim of integrating philology, law, and politics into a coherent view of the past as a school of government and institutional experience.

Printing history and circulation
The 1617 edition is the first edition of the work and was printed in Leiden at the Elzevier workshop, renowned for its typographic excellence and the international distribution of its books. The octavo format facilitated its circulation among scholars, jurists, and theologians, contributing to the rapid establishment of the text in the Netherlands and to the broader European debate on the constitution of the modern state.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Willems, A., Les Elzevier.
Brunet, J.-C., Manual for booksellers and book lovers.
Kelley, D. R., Foundations of Modern Historical Scholarship.