'All My Books in Foreign Tongues' - (Library of the Written Word) by Kasper Van Ommen (Leather Bound)

About the Book

This publication provides a complete overview of the printed books in oriental languages in Scaliger's private library. How and why did Scaliger collected these rare and precious books? Answers can be found in Scaliger's extensive network, the development of oriental scholarship, the booktrade and the use of libraries.

Book Synopsis

In 1609, the renowned scholar Joseph Scaliger (1540-1609) bequeathed 'all my books in foreign tongues' to the library of Leiden University. Scaliger's gift marked the foundation of the extensive Oriental collections in Leiden. How and why did Scaliger collect these rare and precious books? The books and manuscripts, printed and written in Hebrew, Arabic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Russian, and other non-western languages, were kept separate from the rest of the collection of Leiden University Library in an ornamental cupboard: the Arca Scaligerana.

This study offers the first systematic exploration of the printed books in Scaliger's bequest. The books remain extant in Leiden University Library, albeit spread across the collection. By reconstructing the collection, we gain a deeper understanding of Scaliger's extensive scholarly network, the development of oriental philology, the early modern book trade, and the early modern use of catalogues and the development of libraries.

About the Author

Kasper van Ommen is curator of early printed and rare books and coordinator of the Scaliger Institute, a special collections research centre, at Leiden University Libraries. In 2020 he defended his doctoral thesis on Scaliger's oriental bequest in Leiden University Library.