About this piece
- Title: Chorographia Terrae Sanctae In Angvstiorem Formam Redacta, Et Ex Variis Avctoribvs A Mvltis Erroribvs Expvrgata
- Author: Jacobus Tirinus
- Date: c.1635
- Condition: Very Good - A sharp impression on clean paper, with a small, archivally repaired at the right sheet edge. Two sheets joined, as issued.
- Inches: 33 x 12 3/4 [Image]
- Centimeters: 83.82 x 32.38 [Image]
- Product ID: 308780
The Holy Land Revealed: A Grand Panorama of Biblical Geography and Sacred History
First published in Antwerp in 1632 to accompany the Jesuit scholar Jacobus Tirinus’s commentary on the Old and New Testaments, this elaborate chorography subsequently circulated in later editions and re-engraved versions, including an Augsburg rendering by Joseph Erasmus Belling. Its publication history reflects the sustained interest in biblical geography as an aid to scriptural interpretation, with the map’s geographical framework complemented by reconstructions of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the material culture of ancient Israel. The date of the original design should therefore be distinguished from that of an individual impression, which requires examination of its imprint and publication context.
This richly ornamented map presents the Holy Land within the broader geographical setting of biblical history, extending from Phoenicia and Lebanon through Palestine to the Sinai Peninsula and northeastern Egypt. Oriented with east at the top, the composition places the Mediterranean along its lower edge, while contrasting washes of color distinguish the territories associated with the twelve tribes of Israel. An extensive network of place-names, pictorial settlements, mountain ranges, and waterways integrates physical geography with scriptural tradition; the Israelites’ wilderness encampments and movements receive particular attention in the depiction of Sinai.
An elaborate border of illustrative panels expands the map’s biblical scope through representations of priestly vestments, sacred vessels, the seven-branched lampstand, the Ark of the Covenant, and the altars and furnishings of the Tabernacle and Temple. Architectural elevations and plans offer reconstructions of sacred structures, while a prominent circular inset along the lower margin presents an imagined plan of ancient Jerusalem. Additional details include ancient coinage, Hebrew characters, and comparative vessels of measure. Sailing ships, a compass rose, and a scale surmounted by dividers complete a composition in which cartography, biblical antiquarianism, and sacred history are closely interwoven.
Holy Land in the 1630s
The Holy Land formed part of the Ottoman Empire, with Jerusalem and its surrounding district administered within the province of Damascus rather than according to the ancient tribal divisions depicted here. The region’s predominantly Muslim population lived alongside established Christian and Jewish communities, while Jerusalem and other sacred sites continued to attract pilgrims. Franciscan friars maintained a network of religious houses and pilgrim accommodations, linking the region to Catholic Europe, while Eastern Christian pilgrimage traditions connected Palestine and Sinai with communities elsewhere in the Ottoman world. Access to and custodianship of Christian sanctuaries were subjects of negotiation and rivalry among Latin, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian communities under Ottoman authority. Against this contemporary setting, the map’s tribal boundaries, wilderness itineraries, and reconstructions of sacred architecture present a consciously retrospective geography: the Holy Land understood through scripture and antiquarian scholarship rather than through its seventeenth-century political divisions.
References
Conroy, C. (n.d.) Jewish and Christian commentaries (pre-1800) on all (or most) of the Jewish Bible / Old Testament. Available at: https://www.cjconroy.net/bib/comm-gen.htm
(Accessed: 13 November 2026).
Rijksmuseum (n.d.) Kaart van het Heilige Land, linkerdeel [engraving]. Attributed to Cornelis Galle I, in or after 1632. Object number RP-P-2018-1100. Available at: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200723712
(Accessed: 13 November 2026).
Tirinus, J. (1632) Commentarius in Vetus et Nouum Testamentum. 3 vols. Antwerp: Martinus Nutius.
Background on Creator
Jacobus Tirinus (1580–1636), also known as Jacques Tirin, was an Antwerp-born Jesuit priest and biblical scholar. His principal work, the Commentarius in Vetus et Novum Testamentum, was published in Antwerp in 1632 and appeared in numerous subsequent editions, establishing his lasting reputation as a scriptural commentator. Published with this work, his elaborate Chorographia Terrae Sanctae combined biblical geography with illustrations of Jerusalem, sacred architecture, and ritual furnishings, providing a visual complement to his interpretation of scripture. The map continued to circulate after his death, reflecting the enduring appeal of his synthesis of geography and biblical antiquarianism.
