Harvard Divinity School Library

Selections from Harvard Divinity School's Special Collections

[hdslibrary]

Therapeutic Friends

Reading period is now in full swing. To ease stress for students (and anyone else in the HDS community) during this hectic time, the library will welcome Norah and Sophie, certified therapy dogs! They will visit today, May 5, 2026, 2-3:00.

In honor of their visit, we found some additional canine companions in this book describing animals in the bible from 1834.

Fisher, Jonathan. Scripture animals, or, Natural history of the living creatures named in the Bible : written especially for youth : illustrated with cuts. Portland [Me.]: Published by William Hyde, 1834.

[hdslibrary]

Oops, Wrong "Words"

An eagle-eyed Harvard Divinity School student, while investigating rare books with their Readings in Christian Latin class last semester, spotted an interesting error in this 1527 Vulgate bible.

The first line of the Song of Songs in the Latin Vulgate should read:

Osculetur me osculo oris sui quia meliora sunt ubera tua vino

Or in English:

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth, for your breasts are better than wine.

However, in this bible, the word ubera has been replaced with verba, which in English, means words.

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth, for your words are better than wine.

Ubera vs. verba...Breasts vs. words... Probably an easy typo to make, but the meaning is altered quite a bit!

Link to catalog record:

Biblia cum concordantijs veteris et noui testamenti et sacrorum canonum...[Lugdini]: [Jacobum Mareschal], 1527.

[hdslibrary]

What in the World?

Everything is terrible, but for those attempting to compartmentalize, here is a beautiful 16th century map of Asia in the form of a pegasus.

The map appears in the Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae of Heinrich Bünting (1545-1606) which describes the travels of biblical figures and Church Fathers. It includes several particularly unusual maps. The book was first published in 1581, and the image above is from a Swedish translation of 1591.

Link to catalog record below:

Bünting, Heinrich. Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae. Stockholm: Andrea Gutterwitz, 1595. 

[hdslibrary]

Nativity

Woodcut illustration of the nativity of Christ at the beginning of the New Testament in this 16th century Latin bible printed in Lyon, France.

Link to catalog record:

Biblia cum concordantijs veteris et noui testamenti et sacrorum canonum...[Lugdini]: [Jacobum Mareschal], 1527.

[hdslibrary]

Fore Edge Forest?

We have winter break on our minds, so the edge decoration on this late 17th century collection of knowledge from sacred and ecclesiastical histories looks like pine trees to us!

Link to catalog record:

Goeree, Willem. Voor-bereidselen tot de bybelsche wysheid, en gebruik der heilige en kirklijke historien: uit de alder-oudste gedenkkenissen der Hebreen, Chaldeen, Babyloniers, Egiptenaars, Syriers, Grieken en Romeinen...Amsterdam, W. Goeree, 1690.

[hdslibrary]

2 Maccabees and Hanukkah

One of the source texts contributing to our understanding of the origin of Hanukkah is found in the book of 2 Maccabees 10:6: "They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the Festival of Booths..." (NRSVUE). Shown here is the passage as printed in the Complutensian Polyglot bible (1517), with Latin Vulgate in the center, flanked by the Greek (the original language) with interlinear Latin. The Latin begins: "Et cum leticia diebus octo egerunt in modum tabernaculorum..."

Link to online catalog record:

Vetus Testamentu[m] multiplici lingua nu[n]c primo impressum, et imprimis Pentateuchus Hebraico, Greco atq[ue] Chaldaico idiomate, adiu[n]cta vnicuiq[ue] sua Latina interpretatione. [Alcala de Henares] : [Arnao Guillén de Brocar for Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros], [1514-1517]

[hdslibrary]

To Scale

We have found three 1805 copies of this work against Deism with identical bindings! Each has boards made of very thin wood, called scaleboard (or scabbard, sca'board) covered with marbled paper. Having multiple, similar copies like this suggests they may likely have been sold in this state: an early kind of publisher's binding.

Citation with link to catalog record:

Leslie, Charles. A short and easy method with Deists. New American ed. Cambridge, [Mass.]: Printed by William HIlliard, 1805.

[hdslibrary]

Happy Halloween!

We've been driven batty with delight for this little fellow who is found presenting a image of chaos in this richly illustrated late 17th century Dutch book by Willem Goeree. We have decided this guy is part possum and part Grampa Munster.

Goeree, Willam. Voor-bereidselen tot de bybelsche wysheid, en gebruik der heilige en kirklijke historien. Amsterdam: W. Goeree, 1690.

[hdslibrary]

Type-Oh!

What a spectacular type-ornament title page! While an earlier edition had an engraved title page, this printer created an impressive (ahem) architectural design.

This book, entirely in Hebrew, is a late 17th century work on Jewish marriage and divorce laws. We believe it previously belonged to the first Hebrew instructor in America, Harvard professor, Judah Monis (1683-1764). (Monis was the brother in law of John Martyn, whose signature appears on the page.)

Samuel ben David Moses, ha-Levi. Sefer Naḥalat shivʻah ...  [Amsterdam?] : [publisher not identified], 454, [i.e. 1693 or 1694]

[hdslibrary]

Big Bird

Look at this fabulous giant birb gracing the title page of a 17th century Greek dictionary!

Hesychius, of Alexandria. Hesychiou lexikon, cum variis doctorum virorum notis vel editis ante hac vel ineditis, Junii, Scaligeri, Salmasii...Lugd. Batav., Roterod., ex officina Hackiana, 1668.

[hdslibrary]

H is for HDS Library Book on Display in New York!

We are honored to have one of our rare books displayed as part of an exhibit titled, "The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt" at the Jewish Museum of New York until August 10, 2025!

In the age of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669), the biblical Book of Esther was a key source of inspiration for diverse communities in Holland, both Jewish and Christian. Traditionally, the Esther story is read annually on the Jewish holiday of Purim. For immigrant Jewish communities living with new freedom in more tolerant Amsterdam, celebrating Purim—notably through finely produced Esther scrolls and theater productions—became meaningful expressions of Jewish culture. For the Dutch, Queen Esther’s heroism came to represent their emerging nation’s identity. Rembrandt and his contemporaries depicted essential scenes of Esther’s story in paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts. This exhibition gives expression to this full range of the Book of Esther’s popularity and meaning in Rembrandt’s time.

The HDS Library contribution is a Dutch bible from 1649 that includes a lovely initial H illustrated with a scene of Esther before the king.

More info about the exhibit is here.

Photo credit (images 1 & 2): Installation view of "The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt," at the Jewish Museum, NY, March 7–August 10, 2025. Photo by Kris Graves.

Biblia, dat is, de gantsche H. Schrifture, vervattende alle de Canonijcke Boecken des Ouden en des Nieuwen Testaments... In 's Graven-hage: Bij de Weduwe ende Erfgenamen van wijlẽ Hillebrant Iacobsz. van Wouw, ordris Druckers vande Hoogh-Mog. Heeren Staten Generael, [1649].

[hdslibrary]

Bad Luck is Relative

It's already Friday the Thirteenth, but just in case you were worried about any other bad luck signifiers today, we hope that this particular black cat is the only one to cross your path.

The image is from one of our old favorites (and a favorite of our students), the Lolcat Bible. More info and images are in this post.

Grondin, Martin. LOLcat bible: in teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez an da erfs n stuffs. Berkeley, Calif.: Ulysses Press, c2010.

[hdslibrary]

Mystic Monday x 2

More theosophical symbols from a book containing works by mystical Christian thinker Jacob Böhme. These titles were printed almost 175 years after the author's death, speaking to the sustained interest in his works.

This is the latest in our occasional Mystic Monday series. Keep your eyes peeled for more!

Böhme, Jakob. Die letzte Posaune an alle Völker oder Prophezeyungen des gottseligen und hocherleuchteten Theosophi Jacob Böhmens. Berlin; Leipzig: bey Christian Ulrich Ringmacher, 1779.

Böhme, Jakob. Theosophische Beschreibung der Tinktur der Weisen und der Cur aller Krankheiten aus der gottseligen Jakob Böhmens Schriften. Berlin; Leipzig: bey Christian Ulrich Ringmacher, 1780.

[hdslibrary]

G is for Grrrr

...Or Good Dogs! This is one of many clever and elegantly designed decorated initials found in the 1522 Johannes Froben printing of Erasmus's version and translation of the New Testament.

Novvm testamentvm omne, tertio iam ac diligentius ab Erasmo Roterodamo recognitum. Basileae: Johannes Frobenius, 1522.

[hdslibrary]

Just Another Mystic Monday

Illustrations for this 1700 collection of writings by Christian mystic, Jacob Böhme, do not disappoint. In addition to the striking, full page eye, we have an otherworldly garden with flowers, a heart nailed to a cross, and a swarm of bees. (But did the librarian need to apply the ownership stamp right there?)

Böhme, Jakob. Der für die einfältigen epitomirte nicht tunckel, sondern klar und deutlich, redende hocherleuchtete Jacob Boehme; oder Seraphinisch Blumen-Gärtlein. Amsterdam [Wetstein?] 1700.

[hdslibrary]

Discovered in the Stacks: Abolitionist Serial

Even after inventories and barcoding projects, we still discover materials that have eluded cataloging. This short run (possibly unrecorded until now!) was found with a call number label, but without any record in the online catalog.

The Christian Reformer (renamed The Christian Reformer and Workingmen's Advocate early in the run) was an abolitionist and labor reform serial published at least in 1849-1850. The publisher, editor, and primary author is a Boston area abolitionist named Charles Stearns. Slavery is the prominent topic, and the journal provides accounts of meetings around the region to discuss the cause. The periodical also advocates for improved conditions for the working class (an “extra” insert calls for support of a Boston strike), and also insists on the need for reform of organized Christian religion. On the last point, the author seems particularly bothered by the profession of ministry, where people are paid to preach.

We invite scholars and interested researchers to visit and investigate this long-hidden resource!

The Christian reformer. Boston : [Charles Stearns], -[1849]

The Christian reformer and workingmen's advocate. Boston : [Charles Stearns], [1849]- 

[hdslibrary]

Peace Birb

Look at this sweet dove resting on Noah's Ark on the title page of this 1799 Dutch periodical! Sure, the scale of bird to boat might be a tad off, but we will not quibble. May it bring you even a brief moment of calm during troubling times.

De Arcke Noach. Amsterdam: H. Gartman, [1799?]