Josephus was a first century Jewish historian. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Josephus’s second work, the Jewish Antiquities (Ioudaike Archaiologia), contains in twenty books the whole history of the Jews from the Creation to the outbreak of the revolt in A.D. 66. His writings were translated into English in 1609 by Thomas Lodge (1558?-1625) and published as: The Famous and Memorable Workes of Iosephus, a Man of Much Honour and Learning among the Iewes. (William H. Scheide Library (WHS) 24.5.12).
The front cover of this early American edition is stamped in gold letters with the name of Cornelius Brinckerhoff, who was one of the original subscribers. The book is impressively illustrated with sixty plates drawn by European artists Conrad Martin Metz (1749-1827), Thomas Stothard (1755-1834), and Richard Corbould (1757-1831), then engraved in wood by some of the leading American artists of the period, including Alexander Anderson (1775-1870), Cornelius Tiebout (1773-1832), Amos Doolittle (1754-1832), William Rollinson (1762-1842), J. Allen (active 18th century), Benjamin Tanner (1775-1848), and Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835).
Above left: The Six Days Work of Creation. Above right: A Correct Map of the Countries surrounding the Garden of Eden or Paradise.
