ARABIC-LATIN CORAN. - Lot 255

ARABIC-LATIN CORAN. MARRACCI (Lodovico). [Alcorani textus universus ex correctioribus Arabum exemplaribus... descriptus... in latinum translatus...]. Patavii, ex Typogr. Seminarii, 1698. Two volumes, the 1st in 4 parts, in one large folio volume. Contemporary brown calf. Important first scholarly and complete edition of the Qur'an in Arabic and Latin. "A highly sought-after edition, copies of which are uncommon" (Brunet III, 1307). This is the major work of Italian orientalist Lodovico Marracci (1612-1700), a cleric regular of the Mother of God who held several positions in the Roman Curia, and taught Arabic at the University of La Sapienza from 1656 to 1699. The work is in two parts. The first, entitled "Prodromus a refutationem Alcorani", is a tool for Christian scholars to criticize the text of the Koran. It had already been published by Propaganda Fide in Rome in 1691.the second, which appears here for the first time, entitled "Refutation Alcorani", preceded by a special title page, contains the full text in vocalized Arabic with its Latin translation, and notes. Collation : [1 (of 2)] f., 45 p., [2] f., 46 p., [8] f., 81 p., [1] f., 94 p., [5] f., 126 p., [2 (of 8)] f. ; [4] f., 17 p., [1] f., 838 p., [6] f. References to parts added formerly in ink on running titles; rare annotations in margins. Spine broken and uncovered, boards worn and one detached, some f. unbound; title page, and 6 f. at end of 1st part lacking, foot margin wetness at beginning of volume then sporadic, sustained with holes to first 5 f.