Description

Offered here is an authentic late 16th-century Geneva Bible, one of the most influential English-language Bibles ever printed. This example contains a New Testament title page dated 1592, printed in London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to Queen Elizabeth I.

The Geneva Bible was the Bible of the English Reformation and was the preferred Bible of English Protestants for decades before the publication of the King James Version in 1611. It was carried by many of the early settlers who would later establish the English colonies in North America and was widely read throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

This substantial folio volume retains its characteristic black-letter type, extensive marginal commentary, concordances, and numerous period features that made the Geneva Bible famous.

Notable Features

• Genuine late 16th-century Geneva Bible
• New Testament title page dated 1592
• Printed in London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker
• Black-letter (Gothic) typography throughout
• Extensive Geneva marginal notes and commentary
• Includes concordances and reference tables
• Contemporary or near-contemporary period annotations and children drawings
• Bound in an early leather binding
• Surviving NT title page and text leaves

Historical Significance

The Geneva Bible occupies a unique place in English history. Produced by Protestant scholars who had fled England during the reign of Queen Mary I, the translation first appeared in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1560.

It became:

• The Bible used by English Puritans
• The Bible read by many of Shakespeare's contemporaries
• The Bible carried by the Pilgrims and many early colonists
• One of the first English Bibles to feature extensive study notes and verse numbering

Its marginal notes reflected the theological views of the Protestant Reformation and were sometimes controversial, contributing to the eventual commissioning of the King James Bible by King James I.

England in 1592. The World of This Bible:

When this Bible was printed in 1592, England was in the midst of the Elizabethan Age, one of the most transformative periods in English history.

Queen Elizabeth I Reigned:

England was governed by Queen Elizabeth I, whose reign brought relative stability after decades of religious turmoil. Protestantism had become firmly established, and the Geneva Bible was among the most widely read books in the kingdom.

The Spanish Armada Had Recently Been Defeated:

Only four years earlier, in 1588, England defeated the Spanish Armada, a defining event that strengthened England's position as a rising Protestant power and fuelled national confidence.

Shakespeare Was Beginning His Career:

Around the time this Bible was printed, William Shakespeare was emerging as a playwright in London. Many of the biblical phrases and language familiar to Elizabethan audiences came from the Geneva Bible.

Exploration and the New World:

English exploration of North America was accelerating. The failed Roanoke Colony had recently been established, and within a generation English settlers would carry Geneva Bibles to the New World.

Religious Upheaval:

Europe remained deeply divided by the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Bibles such as this were central to religious life, education, and political debate.

Owning and reading Scripture in English was a defining feature of Protestant culture, making volumes like this among the most important books of their age.

Condition:

Please review all photographs carefully.

• Missing Old testament title page
• Up to page 24 has damage (animals/insects biting through?) Some text loss as a result
• Heavy wear to binding and spine
• Detached and weakened boards
• Edge wear and corner losses
• Age toning and staining
• Some page losses and damage to individual leaves
• Period annotations and pen trials
• General wear expected from centuries of use

Dimensions:

• Weight - 1.42KG
• Height - 22cm
• Width - 16.5cm
• Thickness -6.3cm