The Woman’s Bible, part I–The Pentateuch

Collection ID

BIB.004997

Type

Bible - Printed Book

Date

1895

Geography

United States

Language

English

Medium

Printed on Paper

Dimensions

9.4 × 6.2 × 0.6 in. (23.8 × 15.7 × 1.5 cm)

Exhibit Location

On View in The Impact of the Bible, Bible in America

The Woman’s Bible was the controversial work of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a committee of women scholars and activists. The campaign for women’s rights, particularly the right of women to vote, gathered increasing momentum in late nineteenth-century America. Stanton was at the forefront of this movement. However, opposition was scathing, especially among clergymen, who often quoted the Bible to justify women’s subservient status. Stanton responded with The Woman’s Bible, which reprinted passages related to women along with commentaries that asserted the equality of men and women. The book sparked outrage, but it became a best seller. Part I appeared in 1895. Part II followed in 1898. This copy is a rare first edition of Part I.

Printed in 1895 by European Publishing Company, New York City. Acquired by the 2000s by James Martin, private collector, New York; Purchased in 2008 by Willis Monie Books, Cooperstown, New York;[1] Purchased in 2009 by Rebecca Dodson, private collector, Tennessee;[2] Purchased in 2019 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Notes: [1] Willis Monie purchased James Martin’s collection upon Martin’s death in 2008. He could provide no further information about when or from whom Martin acquired the book (email from Willis Monie to Rebecca Dodson, March 2018). [2] Letter of provenance from Rebecca Dodson to Museum of the Bible, April 2019.

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