Overview

A substantial Elizabethan Bishops' Bible, printed in London in 1584 by Christopher Barker, Printer to Queen Elizabeth I. This quarto edition contains the Old and New Testaments, the Apocrypha, a woodcut map of the Holy Land and a separately printed metrical Psalter dated 1584.

The volume retains its elaborately illustrated New Testament title page, which has been relocated to the beginning of the Bible. It also preserves Barker's dated imprint beneath the royal arms of Elizabeth I, together with historical ownership inscriptions, including one dated 1690.

Bound in handsome later black leather with blind-tooled floral borders and an elaborately gilt spine.

Historical Significance

First published in 1568 under the direction of Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops' Bible was produced for use within the established Church of England during the reign of Elizabeth I.

It was intended to provide an alternative to the increasingly popular Geneva Bible and became an important predecessor to the King James Bible of 1611. The translators of the King James Version were instructed to use the Bishops' Bible as their principal English reference text, revising it where necessary.

This 1584 printing belongs to the later Elizabethan period, when England's religious settlement was becoming firmly established and the printing of English Bibles remained subject to royal privilege.

Printer: Christopher Barker

Christopher Barker was one of the most important English Bible printers of the Elizabethan period. Appointed Queen's Printer in 1577, he held valuable privileges for printing English Bibles and other official publications.

This copy retains his 1584 imprint, accompanied by the royal arms of Elizabeth I, featuring the crowned shield supported by a lion and dragon and the royal motto Dieu et mon droit.

The separately bound metrical Psalter was printed by John Day, another prominent Elizabethan printer whose work contributed significantly to the development of Protestant religious printing in England.

Illustrations and Additional Material

Provenance and Inscriptions

The volume contains historical handwritten inscriptions, including one dated 1690, demonstrating its continued ownership and use more than a century after publication.

One particularly interesting inscription appears on the reverse of Barker's imprint and incorporates a religious verse concerning entering a house and the importance of discretion.

Further ownership markings are present elsewhere in the volume.

Condition and Collation

A substantial surviving copy, preserved in a handsome later black leather binding with blind-tooled floral borders, raised spine bands, gilt decoration and a red title label.

The general title page is absent. The original illustrated New Testament title page survives but has been relocated to the beginning of the volume.

The Bible has been fully collated, with the following notable details:

• 26 preliminary leaves recorded.

• Old Testament and Apocrypha present, with signatures A–III.

• New Testament present, with signatures AAAA–PPPP, including the displaced title page.

• Woodcut map of the Holy Land present.

• Christopher Barker's 1584 imprint and royal arms present.

• Separately printed 1584 John Day Psalter present.

Recorded defects: Q5 has been trimmed into the text. FF3 has a chipped corner without text loss, and XX4 has a small marginal tear. Several leaves of the Psalter, from G5 to H6, are adhered together at their upper corners.

The text block displays occasional staining, marginal wear and minor tears consistent with its age. The later binding presents attractively.

The general title page is absent, and the relocated New Testament title page should be noted when consulting the collation. No further missing leaves were identified in the supplied collation, although completeness against the published bibliographical description has not been independently verified.

Why Buy This Bible?

An attractive example of an Elizabethan Bishops' Bible, combining important historical significance with several desirable surviving features: its illustrated 1584 New Testament title, Holy Land map, royal printer's imprint, Apocrypha and contemporary metrical Psalter.

Its substantial survival, early inscriptions and decorative later binding make it an appealing acquisition for collectors of early English Bibles, Elizabethan printing and the history of the English Reformation.

Dimensions:

• Weight - 1.5kg
• Height - 21,5cm
• Width - 16.5cm
• Thickness - 7cm