A manuscript map depicting the island archipelago of Malta has surfaced, displaying several esoteric signs. Accompanying the Malta map was another manuscript plan of Jerusalem. According to the seller, Novia Gallery, based in Israel, both maps were removed from the cover of a 19th-century book, and on examination, they were probably flyleaves.

As they formed part of an inheritance, the seller was unfortunately unable to specify from which book they came. However, upon examination, it appears that both maps were likely extracted from a traveller’s notebook where the owner may have casually recorded details that caught his interest during his journeys.

Each map measures 140mm by 82mm, classifying them as miniature maps. The Malta map is damaged along the upper and right-hand edges, with portions torn and missing. There are a few worm holes in the pages.

Henric Petri/Sebastian Münster map of Malta, 122mm by 77mm, 1561.

The Malta map

The manuscript map of Malta was most likely copied from the 1561 Henric Petri map, later published by Sebastian Münster. Both maps bear the names of the two principal islands, Melita and Goze, inscribed directly on the respective islands. The place name Claudus in Gozo refers to the Castello (Citadel), a feature found exclusively on the Petri/Münster map.

Similarly, Malta/S. Paulus corresponds respectively to the old capital city, Mdina, and to the site traditionally associated with St Paul’s shipwreck. Like the Petri/Münster original, the manuscript map is oriented with the northwest at the top.

A lot of information is lost when a map is removed from a book… As they are, many questions will remain unanswered forever

Enclosed within a faint single-line border, the manuscript map is embellished with a depiction of Melusine – the alchemical siren – located at the lower left corner. This twin-tailed mermaid is a recurring figure in medieval lore and carries layered symbolism in alchemical tradition.

Melusine, an anthropomorphic creature, represents the fertile, generative aspect of Mother Earth. On the map, she is shown with a rounded abdomen and full breasts. Her two tails are bent upward toward her head, symbolising a transformation of the goddess’s legs, spread in acts of sexual union and childbirth.

According to legend, Melusine was a beautiful maiden who transformed into a serpent from the waist down while bathing. Raymond, Duke of Aquitaine, was so captivated by her beauty that he proposed marriage. She consented, on the condition that he never disturbs her on Saturdays – her private time for bathing. Eventually overcome by suspicion, Raymond violated this condition and secretly watched her, discovering her true form. His horrified reaction revealed his betrayal, and Melusine vanished.

In alchemical symbolism, Melusine’s dual nature – embodied in her twin tails – represents the union of opposites: earth and water, body and soul. She is seen as a manifestation of Universal Mercury, the anima mundi or world soul, a force that evokes longing and insight in the philosopher. Appropriately, the symbol of Mercury is found on the verso of the Malta map.

A many-finned sea serpent dominates the top centre of the Malta map. This creature could represent the Leviathan, the Hebrew name for a colossal sea dragon mentioned in Isaiah 27:1 and Psalms 104:26. Historically, serpents and snakes have symbolised fertility and creative life force. Because snakes shed their skin, they are widely regarded as emblems of rebirth, transformation, immortality and healing.

Verso of the Malta map

The symbols drawn on the verso of the Malta map.

On the verso of the map, five astrological symbols are depicted in a line. These represent the planets Neptune (Rahav in Hebrew), Saturn (Shabbathai), Earth (Eretz), Uranus (Uron) and Mercury (Kochav Chama) – all of which are associated with alchemical traditions.

The symbols for Uranus and Neptune were created shortly after the planets’ respective discoveries, providing a useful terminus post quem for dating the maps. Uranus was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel (1738-1822). Its symbol, ♅, was suggested by Joseph Jérôme Lefrançais de Lalande in 1784. In a letter to Herschel, Lalande described it as “un globe surmonté par la première lettre de votre nom” (“a globe surmounted by the first letter of your name”).

Neptune was discovered in 1846 by Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier (1811-1877). Following the discovery, the Bureau des Longitudes proposed the name ‘Neptune’ and introduced the now-familiar trident symbol ♆. Based on the presence of these planetary symbols, the manuscript maps of Malta and Jerusalem must have been drawn sometime after 1846.

On the verso of the [Malta] map, five astrological symbols are depicted in a line. These represent the planets Neptune (Rahav in Hebrew), Saturn (Shabbathai), Earth (Eretz), Uranus (Uron) and Mercury (Kochav Chama)

The map of Jerusalem

The religious text found on the verso of the map of Jerusalem.

The second manuscript, removed from the same binding, is a schematic plan of Jerusalem. The design appears to be based on the well-known map of Jerusalem by Georg Braun (1541-1622) and Franz Hogenberg (1540-1590), originally published in Civitates Orbis Terrarum (Cologne, 1572). Beneath the plan is the Greek inscription: Ηιερή πόλη Ιερουσαλήμ (Sancta Urbs Ierusalem – The Holy City of Jerusalem).

Verso of the Jerusalem map

The verso of the Jerusalem map contains a fragment of a short passage written in Greek from the Gospel of St Luke 22:38-9. The right-hand side is missing and so all the lines are cut off.

The full text would have been: ἱ δὲ εἶπαν, Κύριε, ἰδοὺ μάχαιραι ὧδε δύο. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ἱκανόν ἐστιν. αὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐπορεύθη κατὰ τὸ ἔθος εἰς τὸ Ὄρος τῶν  Ἐλαιῶν· ἠκολούθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶοἱ μαθηταί.

(They said, “Lord, behold, here are two swords”. He came out and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him.)

Conclusion

It is a great pity that these maps have been removed from their original context. A lot of information is lost when a map is removed from a book. It would have been very interesting to know their provenance, their owner and perhaps the reason why they were drawn in the first place. As they are, many questions will remain unanswered forever.

 

Acknowledgements

I owe a debt of gratitude to Alexia Petsalis, senior lecturer in Classics at the University of St Andrew’s, Scotland, and her colleague, Jason König, who identified the text.

 

 

Author’s note

A full description of the 1561 Henric Petri map of Malta is available in The Pre-Siege Maps of Malta: Second Century AD-1564, Malta, 2016, by Albert Ganado and Joseph Schirò.

This article is dedicated to the late Dr Albert Ganado.