Ad Eminentiss: Principem S. R. E Cardinalem FRANCISCVM BARBERINVM. in quo Cùm linguae Coptae, sive A Egyptiacae, quondam Pharaonicae, origo, aetas, vicissitudo, inclinatio; tùm hieroglyphicae literaturae instauratio, vti per varia variarum eruditionum, interpretativo numque difficillimarum specimina, ita noua quoque & insólita methodo exhibentur. Romae. Typis S. Cong: de propag: Fide. 1636.

In 4º (de 24,5x18 cm) com [xxiv], 339 pags.

Encadernação da época inteira de pele.

Ilustrado com quadros sinópticos relações escritas e fonéticas entre os caracteres dos "alfabetos" orientais: copta, egípcio, sírio, etíope, hebreu, caldaico, samaritano, arménio, e outros.

Para esta obra foram fundidos tipos de letras orientais que incluem siríaco, árabe, samaritano, caldeu, o hebraico, o hebraico rabínico, o etíope, copta, e hieróglifos e outros.

Tal como o autor refere no título da obra: a língua Copta, que é Egípcia ou Faraónica na origem, na sua idade, e na inclinação; sugere a existência de uma literatura hieroglífica, usada em vários meios de erudição, e cria um método pouco comum que aqui apresenta na sua interpretação.

Entre as páginas 106 e 116 existem excertos em língua portuguesa, e referentes a obras portuguesas, sobre o descobrimento dos cristãos de Meliapor e a transcrição da Cruz de S. Tomé, com a sua própria transcrição e a sua legenda nas páginas 108 e 111 desta obra.

Exemplar com vestígios de manchas de tinta na folha de rosto; lombada, cantos e coifas cansados; leves trabalhos marginais de traça; e oxidação natural do papel das folhas de guarda.

 Work illustrated with synoptic charts written with relationships between characters of the eastern 'alphabets' such as: Coptic, Egyptian, Syrian, Ethiopian, Hebrew, Caldaic, Samaritan, Armenian and Chinese. Oriental type founts done to compose this book include: Syrian, Arabic, Estranghelo, Samaritan, Chaldean, Hebrew, Rabbinical Hebrew, Aethiopic, Coptic, Saracen, and Hieroglyphic.

The most astonishing revelation of this book is the first recognition of the relationship between hieratic and hieroglyphic scripts; and the very first time the hieroglyphs and Coptic language was printed with typographical proficiency.

Kircher researched many origins of languages, and on pages 106-116 there are representations, and transcriptions, of the contents of the Cross of Thomas in Meliapor (Southern India), and the original reports of its discovery after the original Portuguese sources.

As the author states in the title of this work: the Coptic language, which is Egyptian or Pharaonic in its origin, age, and tendency; suggests the existence of a hieroglyphic literature, used in various proficiency, and suggests an unusual method here presented in its interpretation. Kircher's interest in Egyptology began in 1628 when he researched a collection of hieroglyphs in the library at Speyer. He learned Coptic and in 1633 and published the first grammar of that language in 1636. In the Prodromus coptus sive aegyptiacus Kircher argued that Coptic preserved the last development of ancient Egyptian. For Kircher the Coptic descended from ancient Egyptian and it held the answer to deciphering the hieroglyphs. For this reason Kircher is considered the true founder of Egyptology, because his work was pioneer and conducted before the discovery of the Rosetta Stone which rendered Egyptian hieroglyphics comprehensible to scholars.

Binding: contemporary full calf.

Sommervogel 4, 1047

Oxford University Libraries(HPB)

GBV Union Catalogue (Gemeinsamer Bibliotheksverbund, Göttingen) (HPB)