Description
C.17th world map by Joseph Moxon, the little-known English hydrographer who was one of the earliest compilers of sea charts with his Book of Sea Plats, 1657. In the same year he republished Wright’s rare world map on Mercator’s projection.
In 1671 Moxon issued six biblically-inspired maps which, according to an advertisement in the Term Catalogues, were intended to be bound in bibles. Moxon claimed that the originals for the maps came from an assembly of Dutch ministers who selected from ‘authors that have set forth Mappes of the like nature: Abraham Ortelius, Christaen Adrichon, Arnold and Nicolas Geilkerk..” The general map shows how the world was divided up among the sons of Noah after the Flood and is dedicated to Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury. Biblical scenes surround the map including one of Japhet, Noah’s son shown occupying North America.
Although intended for a bible, the geography knowledge shown, is current with Australia shown with the discoveries made by Able Tasman on his first (1642-3) and second voyage (1644) and California is shown as an island.
The seven days of creation are illustrated in the panels at the top of the map. Below are the expulsion from Paradise, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, God speaking to Moses, the Ten Commandments, the Crucifixion and the Ascension. The voice of God is represented by Hebrew characters. Several significant biblical sites are shown by name on the map, but most significant locations (including Britain and everything in the Western Hemisphere) are identified by number with a key below.
This second state of Moxon’s world map is identified by the inclusion of the 57th name, Pesibsania sic in list of place names.
