Expansions of Western Civilization

Coverdale Bible
Miles Coverdale, 1488-1569
1535
First edition
Antwerp, Belgium
First published complete English Bible
Printed on paper and richly decorated in woodcut prints

Estienne’s Greek New Testament
Robert Estienne (Stephanus), 1503-1569
1550
Third edition
Paris, France

This specific edition, known as the Editio Regia (Regal Edition), is popularly regarded as the Textus Receptus and is the edition to which Estienne first added the modern verse divisions. Though Estienne closely followed much of the wording in Erasmus’ later editions, this 1550 edition was soon regarded as the monument of Greek editions.

The 1550 Estienne edition displayed is still in its original binding and was once part of the Cardiff Castle Library in South Wales.

Bishops’ Bible
1568
First edition
London, England

Set forth by Matthew Parker (1504-1575), the Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I, the Bishops’ Bible is a large folio that was intended to replace all the former English Bibles. It looks magnificent standing an inch taller than the Great Bible with large black letter type, 124 distinct woodcuts, four maps (three came directly from the Geneva Bible), a six page preface of the whole Bible, and a one page Preface to the New Testament. The paper used for the New Testament was actually a thicker paper because the printers expected it to be read more than the Old Testament.

King James “He” Bible
1611
First edition
London, England

Robert Barker, “The Printer to the King’s most excellent Majesty,” as the title page proclaims, printed the 1611 King James Bible. It is commonly recognized that from 1611 to 1614 there are two distinct series of edition in various sizes, which differ throughout in many minor points of typography, and are generally distinguished by the names ‘He’ Bibles and ‘She’ Bibles, from their respective readings of Ruth 3:15, “…he went into the city,” and, “…she went into the city.” The explanation for the difference is that the Bibles were printed in two separate offices, in order to facilitate rapid production. Biographers generally agree that the folio ‘He’ Bible of 1611 is the first impression of this version, though ‘She’ later became the accepted wording.

Matthew’s Bible
John Rogers, 1500-1555
1537
First edition
Antwerp, Belgium
Printed on paper and richly decorated with woodcut prints

Geneva New Testament
1557
Limited edition
Geneva, Switzerland

Attributed to William Whittingham (c.1524-1579), A. S. Herbert writes, “The text is based upon Tyndale’s, compared with the Great Bible, and largely influenced by Beza’s Latin translation.” This octavo New Testament is unique in that it is printed in Roman type and is the first English New Testament to have verse divisions, which are those Robert Estienne developed. In addition, words that were not in the Greek were printed in italics.

“Bear” Bible
Cassiodoro de Reyna, 1520-1594
1569
First edition
Basle, Switzerland

This is the first Spanish Bible translated from the original languages. It is printed on paper with decorative woodcut prints.

King James Bible “Wicked Bible”
1631
London, England

The Wicked Bible contains an error in Exodus 20:14, where the Seventh Commandment reads, “Thou shalt commit adultery.” The printers are said to have been fined £300 for the offence, a huge amount at that time. Many believe, as P.M. Handover wrote in the Times (London) House Journal, that the error was deliberate on the part of a partisan of Norton to discredit the Barkers. There were one thousand Bibles in this edition, but the King ordered them suppressed, making the “Wicked Bible” very rare. This was the last edition printed by Robert Barker.

Sauer Bible Leaf
Christopher Sauer, 1695-1758
1743
Germantown, Pennsylvania

The most famous and ambitious product to come off Christopher Sauer’s press was a complete German Bible issued in the year 1743 in a large quarto edition. It was the first European language Bible published in America.