Rheims New Testament, First Edition
Rheims New Testament, First Edition
BIB.003035
Bible - Printed Book
1582
France
English
Printed on Paper
8.8 × 6.5 × 2 in. (22.4 × 16.5 × 5.1 cm)
Not on View
The Rheims New Testament, as part of the Douay-Rheims Bible, formed the basis of nearly every English translation of the Catholic Bible until the twentieth century. After the ascension of Elizabeth I to the throne in 1559, some Catholic scholars fled to Douay, France, where they formed a college for English priests. They eventually began work on an English translation of the Bible based on the Vulgate, which they hoped would combat the influence of Protestant translations. They published the New Testament, along with notes and commentary, in Rheims in 1582. The Old Testament was later published in Douay in two volumes in 1609 and 1610. The Douay-Rheims translation became the principal text for Catholic Bibles in English and even influenced the Protestant King James Bible. This copy is a first edition.
Printed in 1582 by John Fogny, Rheims, France. Acquired by Robert Atkinson, unknown location.[1] Acquired before 2010 by John R. Kelly, private collector, Pennsylvania; Privately purchased in 2010 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
Notes: [1] Robert Atkinson’s signature is located on the title page. This copy has been rebound, but the original front pastedown was preserved. It features additional names, including Jane Atkinson, John Monck, and James Drumand, but their relation to one another is unclear.
Museum of the Bible Publications:
Jennifer Atwood and Stacey Douglas, eds. Passages: Exploring the Bible in Four Movements. An Exhibition Guide (Museum of the Bible, 2015), 77.
Questions about our Collections?
To acquire permission to use this image, please visit our Rights and Reproduction page .
