The present example is very likely a luxurious copy issued by Janssonius himself, with a richly gold-tooled binding and the maps lavishly coloured and heightened with gold. The colouring of this atlas may be ascribed to Frans Koerten (1600–1668) or his workshop, possibly including the assistance of the master-colourist Dirk Janszoon van Santen (1637–1708), who later became famous for his superior handling of gold. Koerten specialised in atlases and was the most renowned colourist of cartographic material in Amsterdam in the seventeenth century. Although his work was never signed, the variegated and decorative colouring, blank cartouches, and meticulously applied gold all point to his involvement; moreover, Koerten and Janssonius were certainly in close contact in 1662.

 Novus’ was extended with a sea atlas and a historical atlas, the present work being an example of the latter. As well as appearing in the ‘

 Novus’ and the ten or eleven-volume ‘

 Maior’, the ‘Old World' collection was also published separately. The present example was very likely published as part of the ‘

 Maior’ was finished in 1662, and the preface in this volume is of the same date. The title, ‘

 ofte oude geestelycke ende aertse werelt’ (‘

’) is derived from the engraved titlepage, dated 1657.

The Holy Land receives a good deal of attention in the Biblical portion of the historical atlas and is depicted from the southern tip of the Dead Sea to the Lebanon Mountains on a remarkable six-sheet map. The geography of Palestine and the location of important scriptural events is based on Christian van Adrichom's highly influential map of 1584, with a wealth of detail added by Janssonius in the form of vignettes, illustrations, and written information. Each one of the six sheets has its own title, based on which of the tribes of Israel’s territories are shown, and together they form one of the most detailed depictions of the Holy Land to date.

Across the Biblical maps, important religious sites and cities are identified, from Elijah flying his chariot of fire (II Kings 2:11) to the battle between David and Goliath in the Valley of Elah, which is labelled ‘Vallis Terebinthi’ because of the trees that grew there (I Samuel 17). One of the most prominent themes of Biblical maps is the great wandering of the Israelites through the wilderness after their escape from Egypt to which Janssonius pays special attention. Their passage through the deserts is marked out encampment by encampment, with small vignettes of the events that occurred during the forty years following the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, until the children of Israel are shown crossing the Jordan after coming to the end of their long journey (Joshua 3:1).

The forty-eight maps of secular history that follow the twelve Biblical maps largely cover regions in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe. The Mediterranean Basin in particular was the stage for some of the most well-recorded scenes from ancient history, often blurring the lines between legend and fact. The historical atlas finishes with the Peutinger map on four sheets. Reproduced from an ancient Roman map from the late empire, the ‘Tabula Peutingeriana’ is our earliest example of a road map, one of the most engaging pieces of ancient cartography, and a suitable finale to Janssonius collection of historical maps.

Despite the cartography being the work of Janssonius, the map became known as the 'Hornius Map', after Georg Horn who wrote Latin text to accompany Janssonius’ maps of the ancient world.

 (1588–1664) was a Dutch cartographer and publisher who worked primarily in Amsterdam and maintained a heated rivalry with the Blaeu family throughout his life. In 1612 he married Elisabeth Hondius, daughter of 

 joined the family's publishing business. By 1616 he was producing maps under his own name, and by 1623 he owned a bookstore in Frankfurt. 

Under the leadership of Janssonius, the ‘Hondius-Mercator 

 Novus’, it had three volumes by 1638, one fully dedicated to Italy. In 1646, a fourth volume came out with ‘English County Maps’, a year after a similar issue by 

. Janssonius' maps are similar to those of Blaeu, and he is often accused of copying from his rival, but many of his maps predate those of Blaeu and cover different regions. By 1660, at which point the atlas bore the appropriate name ‘

 Major’, there were eleven volumes containing the work of about a hundred credited authors and engravers. 

After Janssonius's death, the publishing company was continued by his son-in-law, Johannes van Waesbergen. The London bookseller Moses Pitt attempted publication of the ‘

 Major’ in English but ran out of resources after the fourth volume in 1683. 

This celebrated historical atlas was created by 

 Maior’, and also sold separately. It contains forty-eight exquisitely detailed maps of secular history and twelve Biblical maps. The atlas finishes with a Peutinger map on four sheets. Reproduced from a lost, ancient Roman map from the late empire, the ‘Tabula Peutingeriana’ is the earliest example of a road map. 

This copy of the historical atlas was produced by Janssonius himself. It contains luxurious hand-colour heightened with gold and silver by master colourist Frans Koerten, possibly with the assistance of 

, who worked for only the most discerning collectors. 

The tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Dimidia

Map of Albania 

Frontispiece

World map of the ancient known world, oval projection 

Map of the ancient world 

Map of the Middle East

Map of Judea

Map of the Holy Land 

Region of the Tribe of Reuben, Israel 

The tribe of Asher, and the western parts of Zebulun and Issachar tribes

Tribes around the river Jordan, the tribes of Mephthalim and the eastern parts of the tribes of Zabuion and Issachar

Map of the Arabian desert

Tribe of Simeon, South part of tribe of Dan and Eastern Tribe of Judah 

Map of the Mediterranean sea

Map of Africa

Map of Egypt 

Map of Libya

Map of Cyprus

Map of Crete

Map of Greece

Map of Macedonia 

Map of Thessaly

Map of Achaia 

Municipality of Attica, Greece

Archipelago islands

Southern Archipelago

Map of the Mediterranean pt 1

Map of the Mediterranean pt 2

Map of the march of the Greeks against the Persians

Map of Asia

Map of Spain

Map of Gaul

Map of France

Map of Belgium

Map of Gaul and Germany

Map of the British Isles 

Map of Italy 

Map of Switzerland

Map of Tuscany 

Map of Latium, Italy 

Map of South Italy 

Map of Sardinia 

Map of Sicily 

Map of Pannonia (West Hungary)

Map of the region of Dacia 

Map of the Black Sea

Region of the Thracians, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey

Map of Germany 

Map of Europe

Map of Great Britain

Map of Wales

Map of the Roman Empire

Map of Syria and Babylonia

Map of the Roman Empire under Charlemagne 

Map of Europe and North Africa, 'the West'

Peutinger Table segments I and II

Peutinger Table segments III and IV

Peutinger Table segments V and VI

Peutinger Table segments VII and VIII

' historical atlas with sixty exceptionally hand-coloured maps, lavishly heightened with gold and silver, by master colourist Frans Koerten, possibly with assistance of Dirk Jansz. van Santen, who worked exclusively for only the most discerning collectors 

Contemporary gold-tooled vellum, gilt edges, marbled endpapers. 

Large folio. Engraved title-page and 60 engraved maps (two folding), 12 on Biblical history and 48 on secular history including four maps for the Peutinger map, each with exceptional and luxurious contemporary hand-colour heightened with gold and sometimes silver, with many engraved initials.

Janssonius' Historical Atlas