Barthélémy d Herbelot: du bon usage de l Orient

Barthélémy d’Herbelot de Molainville (1625-1695) is famous for publishing the Bibliothèque Orientale, an encyclopedic dictionary that was destined for a bright future: this 8 000 entries dictionary includes almost all the contemporary knowledge about the three Muslim empires of the Orient: the Ottoman empire, the Safavid Persia and the Mughal Empire. The picture of Orient presented by d’Herbelot will considerably influence the two following centuries. Although the author’s aim is, as he writes in the preface to his book, to make the truth about Orient known by his public. his immeasurable erudition leads to a quite different result. Throughout the uncountable tales of the dictionary, he provides a vision of a world where wisdom, heroism and splendor are close to tragedy and excess. This world will appear much more realistic to the contemporary public, as it confirms its expectations. In this way, d’Herbelot’s dictionary will nourish the so-called “Oriental” fictional narrative for almost two centuries.