Science Art: From Under den Griechen Berhuempesten Gschichtschreibers sechs Bücher, by Siculus Diodorus, 1554.

SiculusDiodorus_Under den Griechen Berhuempesten

I can’t read the German here, but it sure looks like an illustration of a jackal and another illustration of snakes and scorpions. I’m guessing this was a tour of Egypt… although “Griechen” means “Greek.” Hmm.

Oh, I see. Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who wrote about India, Scythia, Arabia, Mesopotamia and North Africa – including Egypt – in a massive, 40-volume encyclopedia published sometime around 50 years before Christ. This must be a German translation from about 1,600 years later.

I found this and a few other pages (with crocodiles! and whales!) via the Linda Hall Library.