[The Tower of Babel]. Athanasius Kircher. *Turris Babel, sive archontologia* [...] Amstelodami (Amsterdam) 1679.

– The Tower of Babel –

[The Tower of Babel]. Athanasius Kircher. Turris Babel, sive archontologia [...] Amstelodami (Amsterdam) 1679. Ex Officina Janssonio-Waesbergiana, folio, pp. [14], 219, [13], plate 12 (copperplate engravings, including 9 fold-outs), numerous illustrations in the text (including full-page copperplate engravings), period binding, leather.

From the library of Michał Karski (bookplates). One of the most important works by Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680), a Jesuit, scholar, polymath, and encyclopedist of the Baroque era. It contains reflections on the biblical story of the Tower of Babel as a pivotal moment in human history following the Flood and is part of a widespread trend in theologicalthat sought to demonstrate that the message of Scripture is corroborated by discoveries in various sciences. Kircher’s argument is based on historical, architectural, and philological analyses. The author attempts to reconstruct the genealogy of the world’s peoples and rulers (archontology), analyzes the technical feasibility of erecting the tower, and then develops a broad reflection on the confusion of languages, the dispersion of nations, and the origins of writing systems. The publication is enriched by striking illustrations, including the most famous fold-out plate depicting the Tower of Babel, which is among the most recognizable images in 17th-century architectural iconography. The engravings were designed and executed by the most outstanding Dutch artists of the era, including Coenraet Decker, Gérard de Lairesse, and Lieven Cruyl. Period binding: leather, embossed on the spine. On the title page, a ownership inscription by Franciszek Antoni Pietkiewicz (17th/18th century). Michał Karski (1869–1928), a landowner, social activist, member of the Credit Society, papal chamberlain, bibliophile, and collector who kept his extensive book collection in the library of the palace in Włostów in the Świętokrzyskie region. Minor losses of leather, cracks, and soiling on the binding; 4 plates slightly torn, including one with minor damage to the print . Rare.