"THE FIRST SYSTEMATIC NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HOLY LAND"

HASSELQUIST, FREDERIK.

Iter Palaestinum eller Resa til Heliga Landet, forrattad ifran ar 1749 til 1752 (...) utgiven af Carl Linnaeus.

Stockholm, Lars Salvii, 1757.

8vo. In contemporary full calf with five raised bands. Wear to extremities. Annotations and paper-label to pasted down front end-paper. Previous owners (Pehr Dubb) stamps to title-page. "Geo Ross 1757" in contemporary hand to verso of titlepage. Brownspotted throughout. (16), 209, 230-619, (1) pp. Complete.

First edition of Hasselquist’s account of his travels in Palestine and the eastern part of the mediterranean being “The first systematic natural history of the Holy Land” (Blackmer). Here Hasselquist described his travels, observations on the natural world, and encounters with various cultures and peoples along the way.
Hasselquist was a student of Linné, who oversaw publication of the work following Hasselquist's death in 1752. Fredrik Hasselquist (1722-1752) was a Swedish naturalist and explorer known for his contributions to botany and zoology. He was born in Törnevalla, Sweden, and studied at Uppsala University, where he developed an interest in natural history. His observations during his travels significantly contributed to the understanding of the flora and fauna of the Levant. Hasselquist died of fever in Smyrna (present-day Izmir, Turkey) in 1752, at the age of 30. Despite his short life his work laid the foundation for future botanical and zoological studies in the region.

Order-nr.: 60877