In 1609, Joseph Scaliger bequeathed ‘all my books in foreign tongues’ to the library of Leiden University. The collection was kept in the Arca Scaligerana, an ornamental cupboard in the library. This publication provides a complete overview of all Scaliger's printed books in oriental languages for the first time. How and why did Scaliger collect these rare books? Answers can be found in Scaliger's extensive network, the development of oriental scholarship, the book trade and the use of libraries.

Translated by: Arthur der Weduwen