Dzherash' [Gerasa].

A scarce book on the archaeological ruins of the Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa (Jerash) in Jordan compiled by Prince Semon Abamelek-Lazarev, one of the richest Russian industrialists of the early 20th century.
He is credited with significant findings in the archaeological study of the Middle East and produced two richly illustrated books on the region. The first dedicated to Palmyra (1884) and the second the present volume on Jerrash.

Perhaps his greatest achievement was discovering a marble slab with a customs tariff from 137 CE, inscribed in Greek and Aramaic, at excavations in Palmyra. For this, he was awarded the honorary title of the Institut de France and elected a full member of the Russian Archaeological Society. In 1901, the Palmyra Stone was delivered to the Hermitage, largely at the expense of the prince himself, as the Imperial Academy of Sciences was unable to raise the necessary funds.

This publication describes Abamelek-Lazarev's journey to the Transjordanian part of Palestine, to the ruins of the city of Jerash, in 1895. It gives a historical overview of the city's history and is illustrated with photographs unique in their historical and aesthetic value, taken by the Prince's companion, P.N. Semenov. Abamelek-Lazarev was particularly interested in the inscriptions preserved on the walls, he found most of them published and described in literature on the city already, but made some corrections and additions to the existing information.

First edition, folio (35.6 x 27.3 cm); half title, title, 17 plates (including a plan and one double page), and illustrations in the text, text in Russian, some scattered foxing, marbled endpapers; modern red morocco with gilt borders to boards, inner gilt dentelles, spine in parts with raised bands and gilt tooling, a fine copy.