1539 First Edition Taverner’s Bible New Testament Title Leaf

The Most Sacred Bible, Whiche is the holy scripture, conteyning the old and new testament, translated into English, and newly recognized with great diligence after most faithful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

Summary

A very attractive and rare Taverner’s Bible New Testament title page leaf. Herbert describes general and New Testament title pages as those used in Nycolson’s quarto Bible of 1537 but with an additional outer frame (as pictured here).

Scarcity

OCLC shows only 2 copies in holding. ABPC shows only 1 copy sold at auction in 2016 with 58 leaves lacking.

References

Herbert 45, STC 2067.

This leaf has been matted and framed with a plaque below the leaf.

Acquired from LSC Communications, Inc. through a Hindman auction.

A unique opportunity to own this very special leaf.

Note

Richard Taverner was a scholar of both Greek and Hebrew who held a variety of high offices. His translation did not make it on the list of translations that the committees in charge of King James Version were to consult in their work. Dr. David Daniel asserts that this "may be why he has been so readily brushed aside, following Westcott's sniffy dismissal of him as one who 'exercised no influence.'" Both Herbert and Darlow & Moule claim that Taverner's version is more of a revision of Tyndale's work but modern scholarship has brought this claim into question (see Vivienne Westbrook's Richard Taverner Rivising Tyndale). He was "effectively starting again" and his Bible went through eight editions by 1551 (The Bible in English, p. 219).