“The Vinegar Bible,” King James Bible

Collection ID

BIB.000754

Type

Bible - Printed Book

Date

1717

Geography

Oxford, (England)

Language

English

Medium

Printed on Paper

Dimensions

22 × 15 × 4.6 in. (56.5 × 38.5 × 11.8 cm)

Exhibit Location

Not on View

Printed by John Baskett, the leading publisher of English Bibles in England and Scotland, this Bible was described in grand terms for the beauty of its hand-tooled cover, typeface, lavish decoration, and quality vellum. Unfortunately, the Bible contained a number of typographical errors, earning the nickname “Baskett-ful of errors.” No doubt, in part, referring to the words at the top of the page of Luke 20:9, where the title incorrectly calls the parable of the vineyard the “Parable of the Vinegar.”

Printed in 1717 by John Baskett, Oxford, England. Acquired by Edward Bowman; Gifted in 1720 to Ann Strode.[1] Acquired by 2009 by Adrian Greenwood, Oxford, England; Purchased in 2009 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2022 to The Signatry, under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

Notes: [1] A handwritten note on the front endpaper states: “Ann Strode her book, The Gift of Edw[ar]d Bowman. 1720.” The endpapers also contain additional family records in different hands but do not include any clear indication of ownership for this Bible.

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