Bibliothèque orientale
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Galland again returned to Paris where his familiarity with Arabic and Hebrew, Persian and Turkish recommended him to MM. Thevenot and Bignon […]. He also became a favourite with D'Herbelot whose Bibliotheque Orientale, left unfinished at his death, he had the honour of completing and prefacing."--Terminal Essay (1885-86) by Richard Burton |
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Bibliothèque orientale, ou dictionnaire universel contenant tout ce qui regarde la connoissance des peuples de l'Orient is a work by Barthélemy d'Herbelot completed in 1697 by Antoine Galland. It is based on the immense Arabic bibliography (the Kashf al-Zunun) of Hadji Khalfa (Katip Çelebi), of which indeed it is largely an abridged translation, but it also contains the substance of a vast number of other Arabic and Turkish compilations and manuscripts. The Bibliothèque was reprinted at Maastricht (fol. 1776), and at The Hague (4 vols quarto, 1777-1799). A popularising version was also issued in 6 vols octavo (Paris, 1781-83). Of the four editions, the "best" edition is the 4 vol quarto edition of The Hague.
The latter edition is enriched with the contributions of the Dutch orientalist Schultens, Johann Jakob Reiske (1716-1774), and by a supplement provided by Visdelou and Antoine Galland. Herbelot's other works, none of which have been published, comprise an Oriental Anthology, and an Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Latin Dictionary.
Background
Bibliothèque orientale, ou dictionnaire universel contenant tout ce qui regarde la connoissance des peuples de l'Orient is a series of books by Barthélemy d'Herbelot de Molainville, which occupied him nearly all his life, and which was completed in 1697 by Antoine Galland.
Its full title read: l'ouvrage de Barthélemy d'Herbelot de Molainville (1625-1695) dont le titre complet de l'édition de 1777-1779 est Bibliothèque orientale, ou Dictionnaire universel contenant tout ce qui fait connoître les peuples de l'Orient. Leurs histoires et traditions, tant fabuleuses que véritables, leurs religions et leurs sectes, leurs gouvernemens, politique, loix, mœurs, coutumes et les révolutions de leurs empires, les arts et les sciences, la théologie, médecine, mythologie, magie, physique, morale, mathématiques, histoire naturelle, chronologie, géographie, observations astronomiques, grammaire et rhétorique, les vies de leurs saints, philosophes, docteurs, poëtes, historiens, capitaines, et de tous ceux qui se sont rendus illustres par leur vertu, leur sçavoir ou leurs actions ; des jugemens critiques et des extraits de leurs livres écrits en arabe, persan ou turc, sur toutes sortes de matières et de professions, par Mr d'Herbelot.
It is based on the immense Arabic bibliography (the Kashf al-Zunun) of Hadji Khalfa (Katip Çelebi), of which indeed it is largely an abridged translation, but it also contains the substance of a vast number of other Arabic and Turkish compilations and manuscripts. The Bibliothèque was reprinted at Maastricht (fol. 1776), and at The Hague (4 vols quarto, 1777-1799). A popularising version was also issued in 6 vols octavo (Paris, 1781-83). Of the four editions, the "best" edition is the 4 vol quarto edition of The Hague.
The latter edition is enriched with the contributions of the Dutch orientalist Schultens, Johann Jakob Reiske (1716-1774), and by a supplement provided by Visdelou and Antoine Galland. Herbelot's other works, none of which have been published, comprise an Oriental Anthology, and an Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Latin Dictionary.
See also
