Some of the most intriguing publications in our rare book collections are the 16th and 17th century

Some of the most intriguing publications in our rare book collections are the 16th and 17th century prophetic texts found within the Paracelsus Collection. While Paracelsus’s first forays into the genre were short pieces without any illustrations, he wanted to create a work that was visually engaging. Working with the Augsburg printer Heinrich Steiner, he produced the Prophecy for the Next Twenty-Four Years, a fully illustrated prophecy where each prophetic verse is accompanied by an allegorical image. This prophecy echoes several themes that appear in numerous other prophecies—a renewal of Christendom, the rise of a heroic king, the calling of the Elect—but it isn’t overly specific. The key to a good prophecy is to make it vague enough that it can be interpreted to fit a variety of potential situations, which is why the prophecies of Nostradamus (1503-1566) continue to exert a pull on the popular imagination.

The Prophecy for the Next Twenty-Four Years first appeared in 1536, but the images here come from a later edition printed in the latter half of the 16th century. What messages can you see in them?

You can find more information about early modern prophecies in our digital exhibit Prophetic Illustration in the Paracelsus Collection.