De iis quae scripta sunt physice in libris sacris, sive de sacra philosophia liber singularis [...].

8vo: 488-[16] pp. (some toning and spotting).

Contemp. vellum, flat spine titled in ink. Very good copy.

Geneva repr. (1st Turin 1587) of a treatise on the natural history of the Bible. The dedication to Philip II of Spain justifies the author’s endeavour with the argument that the result may be imperfect but will invite others to do a better job. The proem explains that the Bible is of course not a textbook of natural history, but that its statements pertaining to that discipline are nonetheless true, since they are inspired by the Allmighty. The body of the text consists of 91 chapters, each of which treats a problem raised by a biblical passage, starting with Genesis and concluding with Apocalypse. How should the account of the Creation be understood (ch. 1)? Can a man become blind by the feces of a swallow and regain his eyesight later, as narrated in Tobit 2 (ch. 42)? What does Job 38 tell us about the nature of light (ch. 53)? Questions like these are discussed at length. In doing so, Vallés makes extensive use of the natural philosophical tradition as well as of more recent scientific findings. Woodcut mark on title.
Ref. GLN-3832. - Adams V-136 (as "Lyon").