1585 Biblia Sacra – Tremellius, Junius & Beza Latin Bible

London: Henry Middleton, 1585

A substantial Elizabethan Latin Bible representing one of the most important Protestant scholarly biblical editions of the sixteenth century. Printed in London by Henry Middleton in 1585, this remarkable quarto Bible contains the celebrated Latin translations of Immanuel Tremellius, Franciscus Junius, and Theodore Beza, produced directly from the Hebrew, Syriac and Greek scriptures rather than following the traditional Latin Vulgate.

Bound in a handsome modern black binding, this is an impressive surviving example of a Bible that stood at the centre of Reformation scholarship and remained influential amongst Protestant theologians for generations.

Description

Biblia Sacra.

Testamenti Veteris Biblia Sacra sive Libri Canonici Priscae Iudaeorum Ecclesiae a Deo Traditi...

London: Excudebat Henricus Middletonus, 1585.

Quarto. Latin text throughout with extensive marginal annotations and references. The volume contains the Old Testament translated principally by Immanuel Tremellius and Franciscus Junius, together with Junius's Apocrypha and the New Testament incorporating both Tremellius's Syriac-based Latin translation and Theodore Beza's celebrated Greek-to-Latin version.

This is the G.B. issue, corresponding to the George Bishop publishing variant of the 1585 edition.

A Bible of the Reformation

During the sixteenth century, Protestant scholars increasingly sought to return to the original biblical languages through the Renaissance ideal of ad fontes – “to the sources.”

Rather than simply reproducing Jerome's Vulgate, Immanuel Tremellius and Franciscus Junius produced a fresh Latin translation of the Old Testament directly from Hebrew texts, while Theodore Beza supplied one of the most influential Latin translations of the Greek New Testament.

The result became one of the great scholarly Bibles of the Reformation, widely used throughout Protestant Europe by ministers, theologians and university scholars. Printed in Elizabethan London only three years before the Spanish Armada, this edition reflects the extraordinary intellectual and religious transformation taking place in England during the reign of Elizabeth I.

The Printer

Henry Middleton was among the most important London printers of the Elizabethan period, responsible for numerous theological and scholarly works during the late sixteenth century. His printing of the Tremellius-Junius Bible represents one of the finest examples of English Protestant biblical publishing, combining elegant typography with extensive scholarly marginal apparatus in a substantial quarto format.

Provenance & Inscriptions

The title page retains several early handwritten ownership inscriptions, providing a fascinating glimpse into the book's seventeenth-century history.

Among the visible inscriptions are repeated ownership entries for “Jacobus Bacon”, together with dated annotations including 1608 and 1633. Additional contemporary manuscript writing appears across the title page and preliminary leaves.

These early inscriptions demonstrate that the Bible was already in active ownership within only a few decades of its publication and contribute considerably to its historical character.

Condition

Modern black binding with contrasting spine labels titled “Biblia Sacra” and dated 1585. The binding is clean, sound and functional, with light surface wear consistent with handling.

The text block remains in very good antique condition overall, with strong, well-preserved paper, generous margins and clear printing throughout. Pages display expected age toning, occasional spotting, light staining and scattered handling marks consistent with a volume over four centuries old.

The principal title page shows noticeable age-related wear, including creasing, edge losses and historical manuscript inscriptions, all of which have been retained as part of the book's provenance. Interior leaves appear generally well preserved from the supplied photographs.

A handsome and substantial surviving example of one of the defining Protestant Latin Bibles of the sixteenth century.

Please examine all photographs carefully.

Dimensions:

Weight - 1.62kg

Height - 23cm

Width - 18cm

Thickness - 6cm