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a close up of an open book on a white surfacean old black book with gold trimming and a gold borderbooks stacked on top of each other on a white surfacean open book on a white background with a list of itemsan open book on a white background with a black and white image
Hermitage Fine Art

885 - BIBLIYA [THE BIBLE]
See original version (French)

Estimate €200 - €300
Sale commission
Description
BIBLIYA [THE BIBLE] Svyashchennye knigi Vetkhogo i Novogo zaveta [The Holy Books of the Old and New Testaments]. Vienna: British and Foreign Bible Society, 1877. [4], 868, [4], 260 pp.; 23 x 15 cm. Contemporary full leather binding. Covers and spine decorated with gilt tooling; endpapers imitating moiré paper. Good condition. Scuffing on the spine, soiling on the endpapers. The Old Testament was translated by the Hebrew scholars V.A. Levisson and D.A. Khvolson, with the assistance of P.I. Bogoliubov and P.I. Savvaïtov. The translation was based exclusively on the original Hebrew (Masoretic text), without any additions drawn from the Septuagint (Greek translation) or the Slavonic text. Parts of this translation appeared in London between 1866 and 1874, and in 1877 the complete text of the Old Testament was published in Vienna. The books of the Octateuch, which were absent from the London publications, were taken from their appearance in the journal ‘Khristianskoe chtenie’ and revised to eliminate any influence from the Greek or Slavonic versions. This translation was produced in parallel with the Synodal Translation, but differed from it fundamentally: it was based on a critical and scholarly textual foundation rather than on the Slavonic Bible or the Septuagint. As the edition was printed abroad, Tsarist censorship banned its distribution in Russia; consequently, this translation was never widely recognised in Russian ecclesiastical circles. It was subsequently reprinted (for example, in Vienna in 1888 and 1897), sometimes with the Hebrew text in parallel columns. At the buyer’s request, we would be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.
See original version (French)
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About the sale RARE BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS: Antique books § Autographs, rare editions, photographs § Works on paper
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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