Nicolas Visscher

Terra Sancta sive Promissionis Olim Palestina (The Holy Land)

c.1659

Engraving with hand-coloring.

Sheet size: 21 1/4 x 24 in.

This finely engraved map depicts the lands of the Bible, encompassing the territories associated with ancient Israel and Judaea. Drawing upon the rich tradition of seventeenth-century Dutch cartography, the map presents the geography of the Holy Land through a network of cities, settlements, rivers, and regional boundaries identified in biblical history. Its Latin title reflects the period’s understanding of Palestine as the Promised Land, linking geographical representation with the religious and historical narratives of the Old Testament.

Produced during the golden age of Dutch map making, the map exemplifies the work of the Visscher family, whose publishing enterprise became renowned for its finely engraved maps and atlases. Nicolas Visscher combined geographical information with the visual conventions of the period to create works intended for both scholarly study and private appreciation. Maps of the Holy Land held a special place in seventeenth-century European collections, serving as aids to biblical study while offering a geographical framework for understanding sacred history. Both a historical document and an attractive example of Dutch cartography, Terra Sancta sive Promissionis Olim Palestina reflects the enduring importance of biblical geography in the intellectual and devotional culture of the seventeenth century.