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An Historical, Critical, Geographical, Chronological, and Etymological Dictionary of the Holy Bible in three volumes
(English Folio edition, 1732)

Calmet was a Benedictine monk and scholar and teacher of philosophy and theology who had access to many manuscripts and books and was able to compile one of the great dictionaries of the 18th century. He was a pioneer in biblical study. The editon contains engravings that illustrate Babylon and the Tower of Babel.

He was born in Ménil-la-Horgne, near Commercy, Lorraine, France, on 26 February 1672, and died at the abbey of Senones, near Saint-Dié, 25 October, 1757. He was educated at the Benedictine priory of Breuil, and in 1688 joined the same order in the Abbey of St-Mansuy at Toul. After his ordination in 1696, he was appointed to teach philosophy and theology at the Abbey of Moyen-Moutier. Here with the help of his brethren he began to gather the material for his commentary of the Bible, which he completed at Münster in Alsace where he was sent in 1704 as sub-prior and professor of exegesis.

The first volume appeared in Paris in 1707 with the title "Commentaire littéral sur tous les livres de l'Ancien et du Nouveau Testament"; the last of the twenty-three quarto volumes, owing to various delays, was published only in 1716. To satisfy the demand for the work, a second edition in twenty-six volumes quarto was issued 1714-1720, and a third, enlarged, edition in nine volumes folio 1724-1726. A Latin translation by Mansi was published at Lucca, 1730-1738, in nine folio volumes, with new editions at Augsburg (1756, eight volumes folio) and Würzburg (1789, nineteen volumes quarto); another Latin translation by F. Vecelli appeared at Venice and Frankfort (1730, six volumes folio).

The full title is An Historical, Critical, Geographical, Chronological, and Etymological Dictionary of the Holy Bible in three volumes... and illustrated copper-plates. Representing the Antiquities, Habits, Buildings, Sepulchres, and other Curiosities of the Jews.... And table of all the Hebrew Coins... Written originally in French, by the Reverend Father Dom Augustin Calmet, a Benedictine Monk, Abbot of Senones. And now translated into English from the author's last edition...