Importance: A first edition of this major landmark in Modern Textual Criticism. Johann Jakob Wettstein (5 March 1693- 23 March 1754) was a Protestant Swiss theologian, and was best known as a New Testament critic. His “text-critical ideas and the changes to the text that he suggested were an important step toward the modern text established about a hundred years later. He introduced the numbering system for New Testament manuscripts that is still in use today, and he collected citations from classical authors that illustrate the New Testament. Wettstein was also a controversial figure: he had to leave Basel for religious reasons, textual criticism of the New Testament being an eyebrow-raising activity. His way of using classical authors also touched upon sensitive matters: he allowed secular texts to elucidate sacred ones as if Athens rules over Jerusalem. His hermeneutical rules (rules of interpretation) were clearly grounded in or, perhaps better, were grounding - the historical-critical method. Wettstein also had a way of making enemies, past and present.” (Krans, J., 2016. Johann Jakob Wettstein: New Sources, New Problems, and New Possibilities for Digital Research. Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture 5(1), pp. 73-88.)
“He did not venture to put new readings in the body of his page, but consigned them to a place between the Textus Receptus and the full list of various readings. Beneath the latter he gave a commentary, consisting principally of a mass of valuable illustrations and parallels drawn from classical and rabbinical literature, which has formed a storehouse for all later commentators. In his Prolegomena he gave an admirable methodical account of the manuscripts, the versions and the readings of the fathers, as well as the troubled story of the difficulties with which he had had to contend in the prosecution of the work of his life. He was the first to designate uncial manuscripts by Roman capitals, and cursive manuscripts by Arabic figures. He did not long survive the completion of this work. He died in Amsterdam.” (1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 28 - Wetstein, Johann Jakob)
Black Well’s Rare Books sold a similar copy for over $4,000 but, this one supersedes it.
Binding: Folio Split Into Two Volumes (12.75” Tall x 8.5” Wide x 3” Thick). Weighs 11 lb 9 oz. Early 19th c. full fine brown calf leather with elaborate gilt tooling by the Meppeln’s Decorative School Award Bindings. Spine with end bands, six raised bands with gilt tooling to seven compartments and covers with a.e.r. Titles in capitals gilt tooled to second compartment NOVUM TEST. GREAC: JJ. WETSTENI and third compartment TOM I (II). Early 19th c. red end papers. Head joints of vol. 2 cracked, brittle spines, tiny damages, slightly scratched and bumped.
Provenance: Vol. 2 second blank ownership inscription W.A.L. Vreeken litt. class. doctor; iuris magister. Onderberk a.d. Amstel 1945. Likely Willem Anthonie Lucas Vreeken (23rd August 1899-29th April 1977) a Dutch Classical Scholar who was born in Gelderland, Netherlands. He was the son of Anthonie Lucas Vreeken (1867-1938) and Everardina Vormeer (1867-1950).
Collation & Notes: Complete, lacks first blank leaf in Vol. 1. Vertical chain lines. Darlow & Moule 4753. Included as an appendix is the first edition of a Syriac version of the two Epistles on virginity attributed to St. Clement of Rome, together with a Latin translation. [8], 966, [2] p; 920, [4]; [10], 27, [1] pp.
H KAINH DIATHKH NOVUM TESTAMENTUM GRAECUM EDITIONIS RECEPTAE CUM LECTIONIBUS VARIANTIBUS CODICUM MSS., EDITIONUM ALIARUM, VERSIONUM ET PATRUM NEC NON COMMENTARIO PLENIORE EX SCRIPTORIBUS VETERIBUS HEBRAEIS, GRAECIS ET LATINIS HISTORIAM ET VIM VERBORUM ILLUSTRANTE. OPERA ET STUDIO JOANNIS JACOBI WETSTENII.
Condition: Leaves about 12.5” Tall x 7.75”. Guarded. Minimally stained. Slightly edge toned & soiled. (Vol. 1/3K3-6B2) tiny worm hole touches letters & (4M4-4O1) slightly more affects letters. Splits into two increases in size (6B3-rear pastedown) slightly affects letters. (Vol. 2/V2) large tear slightly through text mended. A few other small marginal tears..