This volume is the 1663 Cologne edition of the Concordantiae Bibliorum, a monumental reference work for the Latin Vulgate Bible. First compiled in the Middle Ages and continually revised, these concordances allowed clergy, theologians, and scholars to locate passages across Scripture by word and theme.
This particular edition follows the official Sixtine–Clementine Vulgate, authorized by Popes Sixtus V (1585–1590) and Clement VIII (1592–1605). It was published in Cologne by Johann Friesenhagen and printed by Petrus Hilden. The engraved title page is richly allegorical, showing Moses with the tablets, papal authority, and symbolic figures of Wisdom and Piety — a window into 17th-century Catholic scholarship.
Books like this were indispensable in monasteries, universities, and pulpits, serving as both a devotional tool and a scholarly aid during the Counter-Reformation, when Catholic Europe placed renewed emphasis on scriptural study.
Why You Would Want It:
Antiquarian Appeal: At over 350 years old, this is a genuine artefact of the early modern period, bound in period leather and reflecting the craftsmanship of a 17th-century press.
Biblical Scholarship: For historians, theologians, or collectors of Christian texts, a concordance is a foundational reference work — the “search engine” of its time.
Engraved Title Page: The detailed copperplate engraving makes this volume a striking display piece, ideal for framing or showcasing in a library.
Collectibility: Early concordances are less commonly available than standard Bibles, giving this book added rarity and desirability for serious collectors.
Conversation Piece: Whether for a collector of rare books, a theologian, or a lover of history, this folio embodies the intellectual and spiritual life of Baroque Europe.
Item Specifics:
Binding: Leather
Publisher: Johann Friesenhagen / Petrus Hilden
Place: Cologne (Coloniae Ubiorum)
Date: 1663 (MDC LXIII)
Language: Latin
Format: Folio
Condition: Rebound previously, new leather binding on the base, with the original binding grafted on top to maintain the original beauty of the book.
