The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended
By: Isaac Newton
PBK.005383
Printed Book
1728
England
English
Printed on Paper
9.3 × 7.6 × 1.7 in. (23.5 × 19.3 × 4.3 cm)
Not on View
Isaac Newton is universally known for his contributions to science—chiefly the law of gravity and the three laws of motion—but he was also a Christian who worked and wrote as much on religious topics as scientific issues. His scientific and religious interests came together in his study of chronology. Newton attempted to chart a history of humanity by meshing biblical history with extra-biblical histories and chronologies from the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and others. An abridgement of Newton’s chronological work was printed without his permission in 1725, provoking widespread interest in his unorthodox dates, which departed from the traditional consensus at many points. He died before releasing his full account, but his work was posthumously edited and published by friends. This is a first-edition copy, which appeared in 1728.
Printed in 1728 by either Jacob Tonson or by Thomas Longman and John Osborn, London, England.[1] Acquired by Peter Thompson.[2] Acquired by 1883 by Sarah Bleecker Tibbits, Troy, New York;[3] Acquired by 1882 by Troy Public Library.[4] Acquired by 2020 by Ted Steinbock, private collector, Louisville, Kentucky;[5] Privately purchased in 2020 by Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
Notes: [1] The first edition was produced by two separate printers in London: Jacob Tonson in the Strand and Thomas Longman and John Osborn in Pater-noster Row. [2] “Peter Thompson” is inscribed on the title page. It has not been possible to identify this individual. [3] Sarah Bleecker Tibbits (1803–1883) was a member of the prominent Tibbets family in Troy, New York. A bookplate on the front pastedown indicates she gifted the book to the Troy Public Library, along with other texts that originated from the libraries of her father-in-law, George Tibbits (1763–1849), and her uncle on her mother’s side, US Senator Charles Edward Dudley (1780–1841). [4] In addition to the donation bookplate of Sarah Bleecker Tibbits, a second Troy Public Library bookplate appears on the front pastedown and a Troy Public Library stamp appears on the title page. The Tibbits were socially active in Troy, and Sarah’s son, Charles Edward Dudley Tibbets, served as a trustee of the Troy Public Library. Requests for additional information to Troy Public Library have yet to be returned. [5] Handwritten documentation from Ted Steinbock connects this object to Christie’s University of Chicago Rare Science Duplicates Sale, Part II, Lot 343, which included a copy of Newton’s Chronology. However, provenance details in this copy do not match the details in the auction records. The object contains many additional annotations from unidentified prior owners, including the initials IA, H, DMA, LMA, and LAA, the date 9/17/52 with an illegible note, and several other notes that may have come from modern booksellers on the front pastedown and front flyleaf. The price of 1 pound, 4 schillings, 6 pence appears on the front flyleaf and title page, and two reference numbers—one of which is the shelfmark in the Troy Public Library—appear on the first page of the dedication.
To acquire permission to use this image, please visit our Rights and Reproduction page .
_ABC Buchstabir und Lesebuch zum Gebrauch für Deutsche Schulen_ (ABC Spelling and Reading Book for Use in German Schools)