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Erasmus' New Testament 1522 Third Edition

Erasmus' New Testament 1522 Third Edition

£8,000.00 GBP
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Novum Testamentum Omne by Erasmus of Rotterdam. Printed in February 1522 by Johann Froben in Basel, 682pp.

[USTC 678650; VD16: ZV 19393; ]

THE THIRD EDITION OF ERASMUS' NEW TESTAMENT, THE SAME VERSION AS USED BY TYNDALE FOR THE FIRST ENGLISH NEW TESTAMENT IN 1526 AND THE BASIS FOR BOTH THE GENEVA BIBLE AND THE KING JAMES BIBLE.

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Together, the first and second editions sold 3,300 copies. We couldn't find how many copies of the third edition were printed but it is unlikely to exceed this number. How many of these survive is unknown, but it is certainly a very rare book with 6 institutional copies held in the UK and 23 worldwide.
The 1522 New Testament was the first to include the passage that has become known as the Comma Johanneum (John 5:7-8) which has since been disputed and is now rarely included in modern scholarly translations. This edition was used by William Tyndale for the first English New Testament (1526) and later by the translators of the Geneva Bible and the King James Version. 

This edition of Erasmus' New Testament is therefore perhaps the most significant of all of them given its influence on Biblical printing for the KJV and Geneva Bibles. Of course it has significant value from its huge influence, but also simply from being an early printed book from the post incunable period by such a significant printer and translator.

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 Similar Examples:

  • Hindman May 11th 2023 lot 145 achieved $9,450 (USD)
  • Swann Auctions Nov 12th 2013 lot 36 achieved $12,500 (USD)
  • Sotheby's 5th Dec 2016 lot 19 achieved $6,875 (USD) *

* against an estimate of $8,000-$12,000



Size: 120 x 170 x 45 mm (approx.)


Condition: 

Bound without the Annotationes sometimes found accompanying the Novum Testamentum, but usually not according to VD16. Lacks two blanks, one at the front and one at the rear, else collates as complete in 682pp. It appears that this was released simultaneously in two formats in February 1522, the octavo edition of USTC 678650 and a different folio edition of USTC 678737, this example being the octavo for which USTC traces 23 copies held institutionally worldwide as discussed above.

Rebacked spine probably 19th or 20th century preserving earlier but still contemporary boards which are probably 17th century. Some loss to leather on boards. Shelf and edge wear. Both boards are securely attached, the binding is strong and without any shelf lean. Contemporary pastedowns and endpapers without any bookplates or ownership inscriptions. One front endpaper cut retaining a small portion of the leaf in the gutter. Second blank present and with a long written passage in an early hand in Latin warning the reader that this copy is not the first edition but the third (?). Main title page heavily toned but present, curiously with a reference to this being the third edition on the title page itself. Staining throughout, most significantly to the first 5 numbered pp, but affecting the entire text block to a lesser extent. Toned throughout text block. Small hole through the final leaf causing the loss of a few letters of text, but no loss to any significant information on the colophon. Some early marginalia throughout with sporadic underlining but generally unobtrusive. One hand is very early and in Greek and another writes in Latin, probably a bit later. Lacks blank at rear but collates as complete through the text block. 

It must be said that this is an incredibly beautiful publication with abundant engraved title pages and rather lovely typographic setting.

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