1599 Illustrated and Pirated Geneva Bible

The Bible, That is, the Holy Scriptures Conteined in the Old and New Testament. Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translation in divers Languages. With most profitable Annotations…

Description

Text in two column Roman font containing Tomson’s New Testament and Junius’ Revelation. The entirety of the text is surrounded by black rules. Complete set of Geneva illustrations and maps. Title to the Second Part (n.d.) with decorated headpiece. Issued without Apocrypha. The New Testament title page (1599) with woodcut border comprising twenty-four small compartments showing the tents of the twelve tribes as well as the figures of the twelve apostles. Title is enclosed within a heart-shaped frame. Concludes with a dated colophon (1599). Bound with The Psalms of David (1655) with printed in Edinburgh with architectural border. Woodcut first chapter initials and decorated head- and tailpieces throughout. This copy was likely printed in the 1630s in Amsterdam.

Collation

A-Z^8, &^6 (first part: Gen-Job), Aa-Qq^8 (second part: Psalms- Malachi), Aaa-Qqq^8, Rrr^4 (New Testament). Prelims and general title with heavy loss.

Binding

Nineteenth century brown calf, rebacked. Spine with four raised bands and a red morocco label with the words “Holy Bible” lettered in gilt.  

Condition

First leaf of Genesis soiled; prelims and general title tattered with heavy loss; cropped to fore-edge frequently reducing outer border and occasionally touching sidenotes; Dd7 with closed tear to gutter; Psalter in rear lacks all after Psalm 104, frayed to edges. Corners bumped.

Provenance

“Alex Duthie merchant Aberdeen received this valuable book” to front endpaper. Genealogy records of the Duthie family between the testaments on 19th century paper.

Note

Most Geneva Bibles dated 1599 were printed in Amsterdam following King James's 1616 ban on printing the Geneva Bible in England, intended to promote his sponsored translation. Despite the ban, the Geneva Bible remained popular and was printed abroad, then imported into England. In the 1630s, Archbishop Laud prohibited its importation, prompting printers to add falsely dated title pages to circumvent restrictions. The Geneva Bible's popularity endured for over three generations, as evidenced by the vast number of pirated copies available today, highlighting that the King James Bible did not immediately become the dominant text.

References

Herbert 254; STC 2178; Lea Wilson’s 78.