AUTHOR: TRANSLATION OVERSAW BY SEVERAL SCHOLARS

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DATE: 1557

PAGE #: 1,471

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.5” X 8.7”

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE GENEVA BIBLE IS ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE INTO ENGLISH, PRECEDING THE KING JAMES VERSION BY 51 YEARS. IT WAS THE PRIMARY BIBLE OF 16TH CENTURY ENGLISH PROTESTANTISM AND WAS USED BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR, OLIVER CROMWELL, JOHN KNOX, JOHN DONNE, AND JOHN BUNYAN, AUTHOR OF THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS (1678). IT WAS ONE OF THE BIBLES TAKEN TO AMERICAN ON THE MAYFLOWER (PILGRIM HALL MUSEUM HAS COLLECTED SEVERAL BIBLES OF MAYFLOWER PASSENGERS). THE GENEVA BIBLE WAS USED BY MANY ENGLISH DISSENTERS, AND IT WAS STILL RESPECTED BY OLIVER CROMWELL’S SOLDIERS AT THE TIME OF THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR, IN THE BOOKLET “CROMWELL’S SOLDIERS’ POCKET BIBLE”. THE TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS OVERSEEN BY WILLIAM WHITTINGHAM WHILE THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS PRIMARILY OVERSEEN BY WILLIAM COLE.

THIS VERSION OF THE BIBLE IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, A MECHANICALLY PRINTED, MASS-PRODUCED BIBLE WAS MADE AVAILABLE DIRECTLY TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHICH CAME WITH A VARIETY OF SCRIPTURAL STUDY GUIDES AND AIDS (COLLECTIVELY CALLED AN APPARATUS), WHICH INCLUDED VERSE CITATIONS THAT ALLOW THE READER TO CROSS-REFERENCE ONE VERSE WITH NUMEROUS RELEVANT VERSES IN THE REST OF THE BIBLE, INTRODUCTIONS TO EACH BOOK OF THE BIBLE THAT ACTED TO SUMMARIZE ALL OF THE MATERIAL THAT EACH BOOK WOULD COVER, MAPS, TABLES, WOODCUT ILLUSTRATION AND INDICES.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.