The Holy Bible: Comprising The Old and The New Testament, Printed by Christopher Barker in London in 1599.
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A rare original 1599 "Breeches" Geneva Bible, so named for the reading in Genesis 3:7 describing Adam and Eve as having made "breeches" to cover their nakedness instead of "aprons" or "loincloths".
The Great Bible (named for its large page size and first ordered by Henry VIII in 1538) was restored to the churches after Elizabeth I’s succession halted persecution of Anglicans and Protestants, but the Geneva Bible, imported from Europe and not printed in England until 1576, quickly surpassed the Great Bible in public favour. The Geneva Bible was the first Bible in English to add numbered verses. It was also one of the first to include extensive commentary notes, which were later deemed “seditious” by King James when he banned the Geneva Bible not long after the publication of the King James Bible in 1611.
King James despised the revolutionary and “seditious” Geneva Bible. He thought the Geneva Bible’s study notes on key political texts threatened his authority, so he outlawed it and ordered a new translation of the Bible – the King James (Authorised Version). While the King James Version is an excellent translation, it was edited and authorised by the Government. The Geneva Bible was not. It was truly a Bible by the people and for the people.
The Geneva Bible is unique among all other Bibles. It was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive study notes. These notes were included to explain and interpret the Scriptures for the common people and laid the foundation for a Republican form of government. For nearly half a century these notes helped the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland understand the Bible and true God-ordained liberty.
When the Pilgrims arrived in America in 1620, they brought the Geneva Bible with them. You can see why this remarkable version with its profound study notes played a key role in the formation of the American Republic, and its influence on the development of Western thought, politics, government, society generally, and literature (the Geneva Bible is often called 'The Bible of Shakespeare' for example).
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Size: 165 x 213 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[blank, A1-2Q6 (O.T), 3A2-3Q1 (N.T), 3Q2-3R4]
Full calf binding almost certainly 17th century and thus near contemporary. Tooled red morocco label to spine reading 'Bible 1599', though with loss and splits down the middle. Spine with vertical splits but not resulting in a bisection of the text block. Remnants of early repair work at head and foot of spine. Binding rubbed and worn but holds firm. Rear joints exposed and a little fragile but with both boards attached. Shelf wear with some loss to corners. Page edges very good without writing.
Text of both the Old and New Testaments collated as complete, but lacking both main title pages. Thus retains the map of the Holy Land on the verso of 3A2 which has a repair slightly obscuring it. Leaves often chipped at edges occasionally with minor losses to the margin commentary but none to the text. Heavily toned throughout as typical with some dampstaining and marks etc. Leaves after 3R1 fragmented at the edge with loss, this constitutes the final four leaves of the second table (not part of the text of the New Testament). 3R4 torn with loss but retains the printer's device and colophon dated 1599. Some mostly imperceptible pencil writing to verso of first blank including an ownership inscription with a potential date of 1814 or 1914. Many leaves with some transparent repair tape attached which appears to be acid free and proper repair tape.
