Antique map of Ancient Syria, Part of Arabia.. Hughes c1843.

by Hughes, William

Antique map of Ancient Syria, with Part of Arabia including Mount Sinai and the Wandering of the Israelites. Very detailed original antique map engraved on steel by W. Hughes, Professor of Geography at the College for Civil Engineers. Published under the Superintendence of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) by Chapman & Hall in 1843, with interesting notations about Mt. Sinai with bible references, and the probable route of the Israelites to Mt Sinai, Kadesh and the Promised Land. William Hughes distinguished the sites which are doubtful.

The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was established in 1825 with the aim of making good publications at low prices to make them available to the working class. In many cases, despite being well-illustrated, the majority of the working class were not interested in them. They preferred light entertainment and more practical purchases. Henry Peter Brougham (later Lord Brougham) was the main instigator, and became Chairman of the Society, with a very large Committee of eminent people with a wide range of qualifications. SDUK or The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge produced many well-illustrated publications, including Portraits illustrative of The Pictorial History of England in 1840, with some of  the finest examples of illustrative portraiture by the best engravers.

This map is in fairly good condition, with slight discolouration to external edges of paper and along the central horizontal fold. Approximate page size: 350 x 415mm (14 x 16 1/4 inches). Image: 320 x 405mm  (12 5/8 x 16 inches)