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TIMELESS & BEYOND

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Late 19th Century • Complete in Five Volumes • Impressive Theological Classic • Exquisite Period Binding

Item Specifics:

• Author: Frederic W. Farrar, D.D., F.R.S.

• Publisher: Cassell & Company, Limited (New York, London, Paris)

• Binding: Original publisher’s cloth (olive/gray-green)

• Year Printed: Circa 1880s–1890s (undated title pages, typical for Cassell multi-volume editions of this work)

• Subject: Religion & Spirituality / Biblical Biography / Theology

• Language: English

• Special Attributes: Multi-volume set, Antique, Illustrated (likely, as common in period Cassell editions), Gilt spine titles

Full Description

Rare! & Scarce! Complete 5-Volume Set

"THE LIFE OF CHRIST"

by

Frederic W. Farrar, D.D., F.R.S.

Late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge;

Archdeacon and Canon of Westminster;

Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen

Cassell & Company, Limited

New York, London, & Paris

This is a very uncommon 5-volume edition of one of the most influential and widely read 19th-century lives of Christ. Frederic Farrar’s The Life of Christ (first published 1874) became a Victorian bestseller and remains a classic of accessible yet scholarly biblical scholarship, praised for its vivid historical detail, literary elegance, and reverent approach.

Frederic William Farrar (1831–1903) was a prominent British theologian, educator, and author, known for his scholarly works on Christianity and biblical history. He served as a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; Archdeacon and Canon of Westminster Abbey; and Chaplain in Ordinary to Queen Victoria, as noted on the title page of the set.

Farrar’s most famous work, The Life of Christ, was first published in 1874 and quickly became a bestseller, going through multiple editions and translations due to its accessible blend of historical research, biblical analysis, and narrative storytelling. The book presents a harmonious account of Jesus’ life, drawing from the Gospels while incorporating contemporary scholarship on Palestinian geography, customs, and archaeology. It was praised for its vivid prose and appealed to both scholarly and popular audiences, influencing Victorian-era religious thought and even inspiring later adaptations in literature and art.

The set is bound in the publisher’s original olive-green/gray cloth with bright gilt spine titles reading:

THE LIFE OF CHRIST — FARRAR — VOL. I. (through VOL. V.)

Condition (please review all provided photos carefully):

• Overall good antique condition for a 130+ year-old cloth set — structurally sound and very presentable on the shelf.

• Bindings remain tight with no loose pages or detached boards.

• Spines are faded to a uniform soft olive-gray (typical sun exposure patina), with gilt titles still clearly legible.

• Cloth shows moderate edge/corner wear, light fraying at spine ends and tips, and some superficial rubbing/scuffing.

• Several volumes display old water/moisture staining and spotting to the lower portions of the covers (most noticeable on Vol. V, with some bleed-through to lower page edges in places; does not affect text readability).

• Page blocks are age-toned with scattered foxing (heavier on endpapers and first/last few pages, lighter internally).

• Interiors remain surprisingly clean for the age, with no writing, underlining, tears, or major damage noted.

• Top edges show dust soiling; fore- and bottom edges have typical deckled appearance and some spotting.

• No dust jackets (none issued).

• A few volumes have very minor old insect nibbling or small chips to cloth at edges (see close-up photos).

Despite the expected signs of age and handling — including the mottled/water-affected lower edges and general shelf wear — this remains a solid, complete, and highly collectible set that displays beautifully as a group. It would be an excellent addition to any theological library, Victorian literature collection, or antique book display.

A genuinely scarce format — most surviving copies appear as single-volume editions or 2-volume sets. Full 5-volume sets are infrequently encountered on the market.

Shipping

Your package will be wrapped well and secure for shipping.

I will provide insurance for the full value of the books.

A signature will be required at the time of the postal

delivery to you.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL

FREE TO CONTACT ME AND I WILL DO MY

BEST TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT

YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU.

**** DON'T LET THIS RARE 5 VOLUME SET

OF "THE LIFE OF CHRIST" GET AWAY! ****