Momo Rare Books

1598 Geneva Bible Unrecorded Variant

Name: 1598 Geneva Bible Unrecorded Variant
Brand: Momo Rare Books
Price: 6000.00 GBP
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£6,000.00 GBP

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1598 Geneva Bible Unrecorded Variant

Summary

Presented for your consideration, a rare 1598 quarto Geneva Bible, printed in London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to Queen Elizabeth I.

An apparently unrecorded typographical variant of the 1598 Geneva Bible, provisionally associated with Herbert 243 and STC 2171. This copy exhibits an unusual reading at John 1:20, distinguishing it from the standard bibliographical description of the edition.

Previously offered at auction, in October 2026, where it was catalogued as an apparently unrecorded variant, an attribution reportedly also made by an earlier antiquarian bookseller.

Description

Printed in 1598 during the final years of the reign of Elizabeth I, this substantial quarto Bible represents the Geneva translation, one of the most influential English-language Bibles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

First published in Geneva in 1560 by English Protestant exiles, the Geneva Bible became particularly popular for its accessible language, extensive marginal annotations, and division of the biblical text into numbered verses.

It was the Bible widely read in Elizabethan England and remained influential well into the seventeenth century, even after the introduction of the King James Bible in 1611.

This example contains the Old Testament under a general title dated 1598, together with a separately dated New Testament title page of 1597. Both bear the imprint of the Deputies of Christopher Barker.

The volume also includes biblical tables, concordances, and a separately printed metrical Psalter dated 1598, printed in London by John Windet for the assigns of Richard Day.

The biblical text is printed predominantly in roman type, with extensive marginal commentary characteristic of the Geneva translation.

Apparently Unrecorded Typographical Variant

Of particular bibliographical interest is the unusual reading at John 1:20, where the text reads:

"I *am not the Christ"

The placement of the asterisk before "am" was identified in the previous auction catalogue as a distinguishing feature of an apparently unrecorded typographical variant.

The copy was previously described the auction house as apparently unrecorded, an assessment reportedly shared by an earlier antiquarian dealer.

Although provisionally associated with Herbert 243 and STC 2171, the precise bibliographical status of this variation has not yet been independently established. It may represent an unrecorded printing state or another typographical variation within the existing edition.

Further comparative examination of surviving examples may clarify its significance.

Rebound at a later date in a sympathetic period-style leather binding, intended to reflect the appearance of a late-sixteenth-century volume. The binding features decorative blind tooling, including central ornaments and ruled borders.

The Bible contains historical handwritten ownership inscriptions, including those of Henry and Sarah Finch, providing evidence of its earlier ownership and use.

Condition

An antiquarian copy displaying wear consistent with its considerable age.

Rebound in a sympathetic period-style leather binding, with rubbing, surface wear, and signs of handling. The binding remains visually appropriate to the age and character of the volume.

Internally, the Bible exhibits age-related toning, occasional staining, handling marks, and historical manuscript inscriptions.

The separately printed Psalter lacks three leaves, and its printer's device exhibits damage or loss.

The general title page dated 1598 and New Testament title page dated 1597 are present.

Please examine the accompanying photographs carefully for further details of condition.