Description
of Collection
Content description
The collection contains publications on language, literature, history and archaeology of the ancient near East. In particular there are works on Biblical studies, medieval Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac and Arabic language and texts. There are publications on the archaeology of Egypt and the Levant. A small number of items on ancient Iranian studies, Sanskrit and Pali also included. The contents are mainly in European languages but there are significant number of publications in Hebrew and a small number in Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, Persian and Sanskrit. There is a collection of several hundred Bible translations in many European and Asian languages. A large proportion of the contents are early editions of critical and descriptive works by European oriental scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries which pre-date the main Faculty Library collections.
History and development
The collection consists of the oriental collection belonging to Queens' College, Cambridge, which was transferred to the Faculty on permanent loan in 1972. The collection grew out of the collections and interests of the oriental scholars of Queens' College. There are many books form the collection of William Wright (1830-1889), R.H. Kennett (1846-1932), and A.A. Bevan (1859-1923). The Bible collection belonged to Samuel Lee (1783-1852) a former Professor of Hebrew. The collection is primarily of nineteenth century items but some volumes date back to the eighteenth and seventeenth centuries. Little has been added to the collection since 1870.
Strengths
Language and literary texts, especially Bible and related texts.
General arrangement and access regulations
The Queens' College Oriental Collection is shelved in the Faculty Library's basement store. The volumes retain the original Queens' College class-marks. The collection can be used for reference purposes only.
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Subjects of the
Collection
Regions of AsiaNear & Middle East and North Africa. Languages of materialArabic, Hebrew, Persian, Syriac. SubjectsAgriculture, Anthropology, Archaeology, Communication and media, Economics, History, Language, Literature, Religion. Languages as linguistic focusArabic, Hebrew, Persian, Syriac. Names relevant to the collection:- William Wright (1830-1889) R.H. Kennet (1846-1932) A.A. Bevan (1859-1923) Samuel Lee (1783-1852)
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