Jacob Theodor, also known as Tabernaemontanus (named after his home town Bergzabern), was born in 1525 and died in Heidelberg in 1590. There is not much known about Jacob Theodor's life. He was first mentioned as Hieronymus Bock's student in 1545. Theodor became the personal physician of Count Philipp III. of Nassau-Saarbrücken-Weilburg in 1549 and started studying in Heidelberg in 1562. In 1564 he became the personal physician of the Bishop of Speyer, Marquard von Hattstein, and later the senior physician of the free city Worms. Tabernaemontanus's most important work is Neuwe Kreuterbuch (published in 1588), a sumptuous folio with more than 2300 woodcut illustrations. The author worked on them his whole life. This work was published in several editions and printed right until the 18th century.