Biblical Botany Journal — Thomas C. Jack 1850 Bible Natural History Chromolithographs McFarlane & Erskine Notebook

In 1850, Edinburgh publisher Thomas C. Jack released Bible Natural History — a landmark Victorian botanical work documenting the flora mentioned throughout Scripture, printed by the renowned firm McFarlane & Erskine using the chromolithographic technique that defined 19th-century scientific illustration at its most refined, representing the characteristic Victorian ambition to unite faith and natural science: to help readers visualise the agricultural, medicinal, and symbolic significance of the plants woven throughout the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation. The front cover presents Plate III: twenty trees, herbs, and shrubs from Scripture — the Cedar of Lebanon used to build Solomon’s Temple, the Olive symbolising the new covenant, the Hyssop used in purification rituals, the Pomegranate representing the fertility of the Promised Land, the Vine central to wine production and parable, the Sycamore Fig climbed by Zacchaeus, the Palm symbolising triumph, the Almond signifying divine approval, the Balm of Gilead valued for its medicinal properties, and the Thorn associated with Christ’s crown; the back cover presents a companion plate with twenty additional biblical species — Wheat and Barley, Willow, Spikenard the precious anointing oil used by Mary of Bethany, Lily, Mustard referenced in Christ’s parables of the Kingdom, Flax source of linen for priestly garments, Myrrh gift of the Magi, Mandrake, Aloes, Wormwood, and Thistle — together creating a comprehensive visual reference to forty species that appear throughout Scripture.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover journal
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: 250 g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For

• Biblical scholars, theology students, and devotional readers
• Botanists and herbalists interested in historical and sacred plant identification
• Gardeners cultivating biblical or heritage plants
• Victorian natural history and chromolithograph collectors
• Gift for anyone captivated by the intersection of faith, science, and botanical art
• Students and educators of 19th-century natural history illustration