Wust - Biblia sacra - 1682

BIBLIA GERMANICA

Bible, that is: The whole Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments
1682

Magnificent edition with a thirty-punched gilt edge and 22 full-page copper engravings as well as 4 copper maps.

This Biblia Germanica, issued in 1682 in Wittenberg and Frankfurt by Balthasar Christoph Wust, brings together the complete Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments in three parts within a single volume. As a representative German Bible edition of the late 17th century, it unites sacred text, typographic care, and rich imagery into an impressive testament to Protestant book culture.

Of particular note is the exceptionally rich apparatus, including an engraved frontispiece, 22 copper plates, and 4 copper maps. The illustrations give the volume special immediacy and make it far more than the text alone—a fascinating object for the study of piety, art, and book history. The copper engravings depict central scenes of salvation history with strong narrative appeal and vividly reflect the Baroque visual language of the 17th century.

Of special interest are the representations of angels and demons, which vividly stage the cosmic struggle between divine order and satanic temptation. Angels appear as messengers, guardians, and executors of the divine will, while demonic figures are portrayed with dramatic expressiveness as symbols of evil, temptation, and the final judgment. These iconographic elements are precisely what make the Bible attractive to collectors who are enthusiastic about religious image worlds, early modern demonology, and the visual culture of the Baroque.

23 x 14.5 cm. 673 + 453 + 321 pages (with only every second page continuously numbered). Somewhat stained, partly with small marginal defects, inner hinge at the frontispiece somewhat opened. Magnificent three-sided punched-gilt headband. Overall a very well-preserved Bible edition with rich illustration.