’All My Books in Foreign Tongues’: The Oriental Bequest of Joseph Scaliger and the University Library of Leiden

In 1609, the renowned scholar Joseph Scaliger (1540-1609) bequeathed ’all my books in foreign tongues’ to the library of Leiden University. Scaliger’s gift marked the foundation of the extensive Oriental collections in Leiden. How and why did Scaliger collect these rare and precious books? The books and manuscripts, printed and written in Hebrew, Arabic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Russian, and other non-western languages, were kept separate from the rest of the collection of Leiden University Library in an ornamental cupboard: the Arca Scaligerana.

This study offers the first systematic exploration of the printed books in Scaliger’s bequest. The books remain extant in Leiden University Library, albeit spread across the collection. By reconstructing the collection, we gain a deeper understanding of Scaliger’s extensive scholarly network, the development of oriental philology, the early modern book trade, and the early modern use of catalogues and the development of libraries.