Isaacs JacobABAA
Christosophia : oder Der weg zu Christo. Verfasset in neun büchlein nun in acht zusammen gezogen.Gestellet aus göttlichem erkenntniss durch Jacob Böhmen von Alt-Seidenberg sonsten Teutoniais Philosopus ! genannt. Samt einem anhang von fünf auserlesene Send-briefe des autors ; nebst einem von G. Terstegen :auch ein wichtiges zeugniss von Gottfried Arnold
1811529Ephrata in Pennsylvanien: Gedruckt bey J. Ruth 1811. 12mo. 165 x 105 mm. 6 12/2 x 4 inches. 395 i.e. 400 pp. Illustrated with engraved frontispiece portrait engraved frontispiece image of Christ revealing divine truth 5 engraved plates and one woodcut image of the serpent printed in the text; the portrait and the frontispiece are added and are not usually found with this edition. The book is bound in contemporary calf red leather label which reads "Der weg zu Christo"; some light rubbing to binding; paper stock is brown with age fore edges a bit fragile in places; a very good copy. First American edition originally printed in Goerlitz Germany in 1624. This American edition of Boehme's mystical text was printed at the Ephrata Cloister by Jacob Ruth and is one of only two titles produced by this printer at the Cloister press. K.J.R. Arndt gives Ruth's dates as 1794-1878 but provides no other information about the biography of the printer and his relationship to Ephrata. This question is of interest because the engraved images in this book are all unsigned and are apparently re-engravings of plates form an earlier edition published anonymously in Leiden in 1730 which contains five plates. If Ruth re-engraved these plates it demonstrates a very sophisticated skill with the burin and familiarity with the creation of fine lines tonality and readily recognizable symbols. The engravings are not only fine work but early examples of the art form produced in the Pennsylvania German community of the period. Shaw & Shoemaker 22416. Arndt German Language Printing in the United States 1805. Gedruckt bey J. Ruth unknown books
