Jericho / Das vierdt alter

Title

Jericho / Das vierdt alter

Description

Illustration of the biblical city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley (West Bank). On the reverse side are depicted five prophets, four kings, and a royal couple. From Liber chronicarum, the so-called “Little Schedel,” published by Johann Schönsperger the Elder in 1497. The first major pirated edition in the history of book printing.

ca. 1497

Artist

Schedel (1440-1515)

Hartmann Schedel (1440–1515) from Nuremberg is best known for the 1493 publication of the Schedel’s World Chronicle (Liber chronicarum), a universal history featuring 1,809 woodcuts—making it the most richly illustrated book of early printing. The chronicle, written in Latin by Schedel for merchants Sebald Schreyer and Sebastian Kammermeister, was translated into German by Georg Alt and printed by Anton Koberger. The illustrations came from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. The work covers world history up to 1492/93, divided into eight ages of the world, and draws on numerous sources, including Jacobus Foresta and Enea Silvio Piccolomini. Notably, it features highly accurate city views, many depicted in detail for the first time. Pleydenwurff introduced a new perspective by portraying cities from a fixed viewpoint, emphasizing their unique architectural and landscape features. The project was funded in part by the patron Sebald Schreyer.

Historical Description

Jericho is located in the Jordan Valley in today’s West Bank and is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The first settlements were established there around 9000 BCE near the spring of Tell es-Sultan. As early as the Stone Age, Jericho was fortified; its city walls and tower are among the oldest known structures built by humans. During the Bronze Age, the city developed into an important Canaanite center, though it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Biblical tradition places the Israelite conquest of Jericho in this period. In antiquity, Jericho came under Persian, Greek, and later Roman rule. The city flourished especially under King Herod the Great, who built palaces, gardens, and irrigation systems there. In the Byzantine period, Jericho became a Christian pilgrimage site, and monasteries were founded, including on the Mount of Temptation. Later, the city was part of various Islamic empires and the Ottoman Empire, remaining continuously inhabited. Today, Jericho is a Palestinian city known for agriculture and tourism, situated about 250 meters below sea level, making it one of the lowest cities on Earth.