Portion of The Great Bible, 1 Kings 21–Hebrews 10
Portion of The Great Bible, 1 Kings 21–Hebrews 10
BIB.003721
Bible - Printed Book
1539
London, (England)
English
Printed on Paper
15.5 × 12 × 1.5 in .(39.4 × 30.5 × 3.8 cm)
Not on View
In 1538, the English authorities required a Bible in every church. Rather than reprint his own translation, Miles Coverdale edited the Matthew Bible. The Bible was to be printed in Paris, but the printers faced opposition from the French crown and Catholic authorities. The work was moved back to London, where it was completed in 1539. Intended for use on church lecterns, the folio-sized version soon acquired the nickname “The Great Bible.” This first edition contains 1 Kings 21–Hebrews 10:4, except the title to the Apocrypha, the New Testament title page, and the first leaf of Matthew.
Printed in 1539 by Richard Grafton and Edward Whitechurch in London, England. Acquired by 1902 by S. Barker & Company, Leicester, England.[1] Privately purchased by David C. Lachman, bookseller, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Privately purchased in 2011 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2017 to National Christian Foundation (later The Signatry) under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
Note: [1] A postcard is attached to the back endpaper, dated September 17, 1902, and addressed from Canon H. S. Gedge to S. Barker of Willington St., Leicester, England. The latter is probably S. Barker & Co., a publishing company of the same address, who evidently reached out to the local rector for information regarding the item.
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