Vetus et regia via hebraizandi, asserta contra novam et metaphysicam hodiernam.

4to: [4]-112 pp.

Contemp. marbled wrappers (sl. worn, backstrip gone). Very good, wide-margined uncut copy.

The Leiden professor of Hebrew and Arabic Schultens (1686-1750) is known as the father of comparative Semitic philology. His 1738 programmatic treatise "The old and royal way of pursuing Hebrew philology" redefined the position of Hebrew in terms of its relationship to Semitic languages. In doing so, he created the concept of a definite group of cognate Oriental languages descending from a common source. Furthermore, he criticized the reasons why Hebrew commonly was considered identical with the primeval language and why the primeval language was believed to have been preserved exclusively among the Hebrews. Title in red and black. Woodcut title ornament.
Ref. STCN.
Prov. Libr. st. and ticket on wr. and flyleaf.