Die Geistliche Herzens-Einbildungen in zwey hundert und fünffzig biblischen Figur-Sprüchen vorgestellet erster Theil Bound with: Deren fünffhundert Geistlichen Herzens-Einbildungen anderer Theil. In zwey hundert und fünffzig biblischen Figur-Sprüchen vorgestellet.

Augspurg: Johann Christian Leopold [1732]. Oblong folio. 208x330mm. ff. [9], 83 engraved plates each with three oblong rebus stories from the Bible. Part Two. ff. [11], 84 engraved plates. 83 have three oblong rebus stories from the Bible and the final leaf title "Hieroglyphisches Beschluß Gedichte", [1]. With two exuberantly engraved title pages. The engraver is Hans Georg Bodenehr. Front pastedown has an inscription by an Anton Pruska (c1900) who was a sculptor and teacher. The first two leaves of part one have been coloured by hand. Text printed in red and black. Bound in half pigskin, paste paper covered boards. Edges coloured red. Covers rubbed and worn. Internally very good with some foxing and browning but overall a very good copy of Mattsperger's "Rebus" Bible intended to introduce children to Bible stories by telling them through pictures accompanied by short simple texts. In addition to Biblical texts, there are proverbs and moralising secular tales. To us these appear charming, occasionally amusing visual story books but in the 17th and 18th centuries, these books were a vital tool in the spread of biblical learning among the young and the semi-literate.