Momo Rare Books

1569 Great Bible Bound with Metal Working, Rare Quarto Printing, Herbert 129

Name: 1569 Great Bible Bound with Metal Working, Rare Quarto Printing, Herbert 129
Brand: Momo Rare Books
Price: 9999.99 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

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The Holy Bible in English, that is to say, The content of all the holy Scripture, both of the Olde and Newe Testament. According to the translation that is appointed to be read in the Churches.
Anno 1569.

A substantial Elizabethan English Bible printed in black gothic lettering, richly ornamented with large Renaissance architectural woodcut title borders, historiated initials, and multiple internal divisional title pages. The text is arranged in double columns with marginal scriptural references throughout.

The volume is divided into the First, Second, and Third Parts of the Holy Bible, followed by the Apocrypha, and concluding with the New Testament, each introduced by its own decorative title page. The New Testament is stated to be translated from the Greek.

Printed on robust 16th-century paper, this quarto-format Bible represents a more accessible form of the official English Scriptures, intended for domestic and parish use rather than exclusive lectern display.

This Bible comes with a custom slipcase with inbuilt book shoe.

Collation & Condition

Collation complete as detailed below, with all defects and supplied facsimiles clearly noted.

Preliminary matter: A¹–A⁷ supplied in facsimile; remainder present.
Old Testament: largely complete across the First, Second, and Third Parts; one leaf torn out (Ggg⁸); one leaf with large tear (Kkk⁵).
Apocrypha: one leaf torn out (CCcc⁴); otherwise substantially complete.
New Testament: title page and contents leaf in facsimile; additional facsimile leaves supplied (B⁵; H⁶; Q⁷–Q⁸; R¹–R⁴; S¹–S²). One original leaf torn out (D⁷); occasional holes and edge losses affecting text.

Condition is well-used but genuine, with expected browning, staining, edge wear, and scattered manuscript annotations, pen trials, and doodles. Such marks are typical of prolonged devotional and household use in early English Bibles and form part of the book’s historical record.

Bound in later boards, rebacked, with the text block sound.

Henry VIII and the Birth of the English Bible

The English Bible tradition represented by this volume originates directly from the religious and political upheavals of Henry VIII’s reign. In the 1530s, Henry’s break with Rome and establishment of the Church of England created the conditions under which Scripture could be officially authorized in the English language.

The Great Bible of 1539, commissioned under Henry VIII and overseen by Thomas Cranmer, became the first authorized English Bible to be read publicly in churches. Its publication marked a decisive shift away from Latin-only worship and laid the foundation for all subsequent official English Bibles, including later Elizabethan editions such as this.

By 1569, the English Bible had become a central instrument of state religion, reinforcing royal authority, doctrinal uniformity, and the English vernacular as the language of faith.

From Tyndale to the Authorized English Text

Although William Tyndale’s English Bible (1520s–1530s) was condemned during his lifetime, it forms the linguistic and theological backbone of all later English Bibles. Tyndale’s translations, drawn directly from Hebrew and Greek sources, were revolutionary in both accuracy and clarity.

Large portions of the Great Bible, and its successors, are derived from Tyndale’s work, often with only modest revision. Even after Tyndale’s execution in 1536, his phrasing continued to shape English religious language, influencing not only this 1569 Bible but ultimately the King James Version of 1611.

This volume thus stands as part of the living transmission of Tyndale’s legacy, preserved and moderated under official ecclesiastical authority.

The Protestant Reformation and the English Scriptures

This Bible is inseparable from the Protestant Reformation, which emphasized direct access to Scripture, personal engagement with the Word of God, and worship conducted in the vernacular. English Bibles of this period were not merely devotional objects but ideological instruments, reinforcing Reformation theology and national religious identity.

The inclusion of the Apocrypha, the division into multiple parts, and the extensive marginal references reflect the transitional theology of the English Church, Protestant in doctrine, yet conservative in structure and liturgical use.

Such Bibles were read in homes, churches, and schools, shaping English religious consciousness for generations and preparing the way for the definitive Protestant statement of Scripture in the King James Bible.