{"product_id":"1599-geneva-breeches-bible-herbert-253-maps-genealogies-apocrypha-psalter-concordance","title":"1599 Geneva “Breeches” Bible Herbert 253, Maps, Genealogies, Apocrypha, Psalter \u0026 Concordance","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA particularly attractive and extensively illustrated example of the celebrated 1599 Geneva or “Breeches” Bible, retaining numerous maps and woodcut illustrations and bound with an unusually comprehensive collection of supplementary material, including genealogies, a separately printed Apocrypha, concordance and metrical Psalter.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the title page states London, 1599, Herbert 253 belongs to the famous group of Geneva Bibles produced in the Low Countries under a false Christopher Barker imprint, generally dated by bibliographers to the 1630s. Comparable copies have been catalogued as Amsterdam, circa 1639.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe “1599” Geneva Bible\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1560 by English Protestant exiles in Geneva, the Geneva Bible became one of the most influential English Bibles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Its accessible language, extensive marginal commentary and convenient chapter-and-verse arrangement made it enormously popular for private study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is popularly known as the “Breeches Bible” from its famous rendering of Genesis 3:7, in which Adam and Eve make themselves “breeches.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present edition is identified as Herbert 253, one of the fascinating so-called “1599” Geneva Bibles. Despite the London imprint of the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Herbert 253 is generally attributed to the Netherlands and dated several decades later. Christie's, for example, catalogued the edition as “London, 1599 [i.e. Amsterdam, c.1639]”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe identification is supported by the characteristic textual setting in Esther, one of the diagnostic features used to distinguish between the numerous editions carrying the same 1599 imprint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMaps, Genealogies \u0026amp; Woodcut Illustrations\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume retains an impressive collection of the visual material associated with the Geneva Bible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the illustrations visible within this copy are the Garden of Eden, the Crossing of the Red Sea, the Garments of the High Priest, the Tabernacle, the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Temple, and the particularly striking full-page Vision of Ezekiel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso present are biblical maps, including the division of the Holy Land amongst the tribes of Israel, together with genealogical tables tracing the descent of biblical figures from Adam and Eve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional diagrams include the unusual tables of consanguinity and affinity, illustrating degrees of relationship considered impediments to marriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese maps, genealogies and woodcuts considerably enhance the appeal of the volume, particularly as such material is frequently defective or absent from surviving Geneva Bibles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eApocrypha\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf particular interest is the presence of the Apocrypha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHerbert 253 is ordinarily encountered without the Apocrypha, and bibliographical descriptions specifically note its omission from the edition. Surviving copies, however, were sometimes assembled with material taken from other editions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Apocrypha in the present volume appears to be a separately printed component subsequently bound with the Bible. Differences in typography and the lack of continuity in the catchwords between sections support this interpretation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than being a modern addition, it may represent the manner in which an early owner or bookseller assembled a more comprehensive Bible. Further identification of the signatures and typography of the Apocrypha may allow its particular edition, and consequently its approximate date, to be established.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eConcordance \u0026amp; Psalter\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume is additionally bound with a concordance and metrical Psalter, making this a particularly substantial surviving assemblage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese supplementary works were separately printed and frequently bound alongside Geneva Bibles according to the requirements of the original purchaser. Consequently, many surviving copies have subsequently lost one or more of these components.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir survival alongside the Bible, Apocrypha, maps and genealogical material is therefore particularly desirable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eEarly Family Records \u0026amp; Provenance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn especially appealing feature of the volume is its extensive manuscript family history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inscriptions record members of the Blunt family, including an entry for Henry Blunt, recorded as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Born ye 30th of March 1633”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother entry records a second Henry Blunt, son of Henry and grandson of Edward Blunt, as born 20 May 1676.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA date of 1711 appears in similar handwriting elsewhere amongst the records. This suggests that at least some of the family information was entered retrospectively around the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century rather than contemporaneously in 1633.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inscriptions should therefore be understood as an early manuscript family register recording events extending back to 1633, rather than evidence that the Bible itself was necessarily in the family's possession by that date.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLater inscriptions include repeated ownership marks of James Weston, including one dated 1766, demonstrating continued ownership and use of the volume well into the eighteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether these records provide an unusually tangible record of the Bible's history as a working family book rather than simply a preserved antiquarian object.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBinding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBound in dark leather over substantial boards, retaining heavily worn and tooled earlier leather to the covers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume has subsequently been rebacked and restored in black leather, with a red morocco spine label lettered in gilt:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGENEVA BIBLE\u003cbr\u003e1599\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe earlier boards and leather show considerable age and wear consistent with the long working life of the volume.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA substantial and extensively preserved example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpected age-related toning, staining, spotting and handling throughout, together with occasional marginal wear, tears and old repairs. The 1599 title page has undergone substantial historic restoration and reinforcement, with losses and repairs particularly around the margins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumerous early manuscript annotations and ownership inscriptions occur throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBinding restored and rebacked as described, retaining earlier leather-covered boards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its considerable age and evidence of extensive historical use, the volume remains visually impressive, with strong typography and an exceptional collection of maps, diagrams and woodcut illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease examine the photographs.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight - 1.56kg\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight - 22.3cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWidth - 17.5cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThickness - 7cm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Momo Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54834257854803,"sku":null,"price":3500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/9187\/5411\/files\/IMG_8892.jpg?v=1788367431","url":"https:\/\/www.momorarebooks.co.uk\/products\/1599-geneva-breeches-bible-herbert-253-maps-genealogies-apocrypha-psalter-concordance","provider":"Momo Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}