First combined edition of a pioneering Latin bibliography of Western Arabic scholarship, describing about 500 editions of Arabic works and books about Arabic language and literature, first published in 7 parts from 1799 to 1806. "The first and only comprehensive bibliography of Arabic texts and books on Arabic language and literature by European scholars" (Breslauer & Floter). The publications are arranged by subject matter and some of the entries include extensive comments (further comments appear at the beginning and end of each part). The seven parts were written and compiled under the guidance of Christian Friedrich Schnurrer (1742-1822) by 31 of his students as theses at the University of Tubingen. He was clearly the spiritual father of the work and is usually regarded as its "author".
With on the endpapers a long manuscript note in English describing the journey of M. Schulz (probably the German orientalist Friedrich Eduard Schulz, 1799-1829) visiting 30 libraries in the region of Constantinople and the manuscripts he saw there. Of special importance are named those of Ibn Alathir, Ibn Alasakir, Ibn Aladim and Ibn Khaldoun.
Two ink stains on the title-page, foxed and with the front board detached; a fair copy. Besterman, WBB 453; Breslauer & Folter, Bibliography 119; Fück, Die arabischen Studien in Europa 146; Zenker, Bibliotheca orientalis 1755.