Early Bibles in print: addendum

See Early Bibles in print, Journal No. 17, December 2000, pp.23-25.

A. In print

1. Cambridge University Press

Geneva Bible: a reprint of the octavo 1591 Cambridge edition (DMH* 208), the first English Bible to be printed in Cambridge. ‘This unique facsimile edition of the 1591 Geneva Bible was published to celebrate Cambridge’s first 400 years of Bible publishing. It is printed on acid-free paper, gilt-edged and bound in hand-tooled calfskin. The binding is based on one of the copies surviving from the suxteenth century, and the book is set in a silk-lined presentation box.’ Limited edition of 500 numbered copies: 0 521 50799 5: £250. This is an unannotated edition - at least there are no notes where I checked - and CUP has inexplicably omitted the Apocrypha. DMH does not mention the lack of notes, and this is the only Geneva Bible I have seen without them. Were there others?

2. Thomas Nelson (www.thomasnelson.com)

The Thomas Nelson website leads one to www.NelsonBibles.com, where a 1611 Authorized Version is listed. It is described as ‘a special reproduction of the original text of 1611’ ($24.50, 0840700415). A note says, ‘out-of-stock. Please check back later’. As the size is given as 5 5/8 x 8 1/4 x 1 1/4, I suspect that this Bible was a (? reduced) reprint of the A.W.Pollard edition (1911, DMH 2166).

3. Still Waters Revival Books (www.swrb.com)

This site lists the following, which will all be publications by other firms: King James Bible with the Geneva Bibles notes (1672) - this is DMH 708. Geneva Bible (1599). Geneva Bible: annotated New Testament (1602). The English Hexapla.

B. On the web

1. Tyndale House (www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk) This is merely a coincidence of name - it has no connection with the Tyndale Society. The site has a number of Doorbells. Pick ‘On-line Resources’, and choose ‘Bible Translations’. The page that appears, headed ‘Versions’, has the rubric: ‘Each version has its own page where there is a brief description about that particular version, information taken from within the version itself. You can view a quote from Genesis 1:1-2, Wisdom (of Solomon) 1:1, and/or John 1:1-3 as recorded in each version to illustrate its style. Also noted is the library where the version is located.’ Among the vast number of translations listed are:

Coverdale Bible
Douay-Rheims Bible
Geneva Bible
King James Version (Authorized Version)
Wiclif Translation
William Tindale Newe Testament
William Tindale Translation

The William Tindale Newe Testament is quoted from John Wesley Sawyer’s modern spelling edition of the 1526 edition. There is a link to an original spelling version. The William Tindale Translation is quoted from the Southern Illinois University Press 1967 reprint of the 1530 Pentateuch, and so is in original spelling.

A second page, ‘More English Versions’, is headed ‘Several of these are available, some being very expensive. However, most are probably unavailable now. This list will give the reader an idea of the number of versions that have been published. There may be others that are not on this list. If you have any of the following, please contact us. We would like to include these versions in the main list. Following the name of the version is the translator and/or publisher and the year it was first released, if known.’ This second list includes:

Cranmer Version
Great Bible (Grafton and Whitchurch)
Matthew’s Bible
New Testament (Joye)
Newe Testament of Our Saviour Jesu Christe (Jugge, 1552)
Rheims-Challoner Version

I should like to thank Keith Burden for his help in this compilation and also to ask anyone who can help with information on other publications to contact me: Vic Perry, 17 Williams Close, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4FQ, UK. Email: VPerry@mac.com.

Vic Perry, June 2001

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