THE HANDBOOK OF NIEBUHR'S ARABIA-EXPEDITION

MICHAELIS, JOHANN DAVID. - "THE 100 QUESTIONS".

Fragen an eine Gesellschaft Gelehrter Männer, die auf Befehl Ihro Majestät des Königes von Dännemark nach Arabien reisen.

Frankfurt am Mayn, Garbe, 1762.

8vo. Very nice contemporary full mottled calf with five raised bands to richly gilt spine. Titlelabel with gilt lettering. A bit of wear to spine, causing slight loss of leather and a neat restoration to lower compartment. A paperlabel pasted on top of spine. Small loss of leather to back board. A stamp on title-page (Holstein=Holsteinborg). (70), 397 pp., 4 folded tables, paginated 391-97. Internally clean, some quires printed on thick paper.

The rare first edition of the founding work of Niebuhr's Arabia-expedition, which would gain world-wide fame and establish the scientific description of the Arabian peninsula. The present work consists in 100 questions, the answers to which constitute the purpose of the Royal Danish Arabia Expedition. In fact, the present work is the handbook of Niebuhr's travel to Arabia Felix, as its author is the spiritual father of it.

The work is extraordinary in many ways, and it not only served as the basis for the Arabia-expedition, it also constitutes a forerunner of modern bible science that would begin to emerge a few decades later.

Johann Davis Michaelis (1717-19) was a theologian and orientalist, whose fame today rests upon the present work and upon the fact that he was responsible for the first scientific expedition to Arabia Felix, namely that of Niebuhr.
In 1753, he had come up with the idea for the the Royal Danish Arabia Expedition (1761-1767) and had gotten the Danish minister Bernstoff to agree to it. In 1760, when the expedition was becoming a reality, Michaelis recommended Niebuhr as a participant, and he outlined the entire purpose of the trip - namaly the list of 100 questions that he prepared and published for the members of the expedition, in order for them to answer in the course of the voyage. For all intents and purposes, Michaelis was the spiritual father of the Arabia-expedition.

As a theologian and an orientalist, many of Michaelis' questions have root in the Bible. But unlike many other theolgians of the time, Michaelis sought to shed light over biblical themes through sources outside of the Bible - especially from the Middle East, not least Arabia. In this regard, his 100 Questions also came to be a precursor to the emergence of modern bible science.

Although the expedition would have never taken place had it not been for Michaelis and his 100 questions - many of which are also purely naturalistic - he could not quite have foreseen the scientific outcome of the expedition. He had not foreseen that Niebuhr would become the founder of the scientific description of the Arabian peninsula and that Niebuhr's notes would become the basis for the first decipherment of Mesopotamian and Persian cuneiform.
On the contrary, he was probably quite disappointed that his questions were not all answered as thoroughly as the had anticipated. Adding to that, Niebuhr's answer to the questions "only" takes up six pages in the preface to "Description of Arabia", although the text itself contains many detailed explanations and answers to Michaelis' questions.

Order-nr.: 56918