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[The fyrste parte of the Bible called the .v. books of Moses translated by .W[illiam] T[yndale]. with all his prologes before every boke, and certeine learned notes upon many harde words. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numeri. Deuteronomium.]
Description
Text in single column black letter with woodcut initials at the beginning of the prologues and first chapters. Tyndale’s chapter summaries before each chapter, his notes after each chapter, with references and notes in the margins. A substantial fragment consisting of Ex 28:3 - Deut 28:1. The text mostly agrees with Taverner’s Bible printed in folio in 1551, which appears to be revision of Tyndale’s work on the Pentateuch in 1530. A previously uncatalogued misprint in the Ten Commandments (Deut 5:21) reads “Thou shalte covette thy neighboures house, filed, servant, maide ...” instead of “Thou shalte not covette …”.
Collation
R-Y^8, Aa-Ss^8 (Ex 28:3 – Deut 28:1). 200 out of 336 ff.
Binding
Modern beveled and paneled calf. Spine with four raised bands and two red gilt-lined morocco labels with the words “The Pentateuch” and “W. Tyndale 1530” lettered in gilt.
Condition
Twentieth century armorial bookplate on front pastedown bearing the motto ‘Taxis Kai Kosmos’ [Paul W. Schmidtchen (1914-1990)]. ‘J. Rowland Raqdale’ on front endpaper. Nine blank leaves inserted at front and rear of volume. The front leaves with two facsimile title pages laid down and one page of handwritten note discussing the rarity of Tyndale’s Pentateuch. Rear pastedown with label that reads “The Pentateuch, by Willyam Tindale. 1530. 8vo. This is the first edition, and of extraordinary rarity and value.” Attached below is a catalogue description of the Hamsworth copy of the second edition of Tyndale’s Pentateuch. Scattered staining; Y1 upper marginal repair; soiling throughout but mostly to margins and first few and final leaves.
Scarcity
We can trace no copies at auction per RBH. Only two copies in holdings (British Library and Cambridge University, the University of Oregon copy does not exist). We’d like to thank Dr. Liam Sims at Cambridge and Aimee Burnett at the British Library for their assistance.
Note
William Tyndale’s translation of the Pentateuch was a landmark in the history of the English Bible. First printed in 1530, it was the first English translation of the five books of Moses made directly from Hebrew rather than Latin. Tyndale’s command of Hebrew and his gift for clear, natural English laid the foundation for much of the Old Testament language found in later English Bibles.
Surviving editions of Tyndale’s Pentateuch are extraordinarily rare. The 1530 first edition is known in only ten institutional copies, with the Ryrie copy selling for $672,500 in 2016. The 1534 second edition survives in thirteen institutional copies; a copy sold for $305,000 at Sotheby’s in 2013.
This 1551 edition preserves Tyndale’s prologues, chapter summaries, notes, and much of his translation, revised by Richard Taverner. Only three copies are known: those at the British Library and Cambridge University, and this copy—the only one remaining in private hands.
It also contains a previously unrecorded misprint in the Ten Commandments. In Deuteronomy 5:21, the Tenth Commandment reads, “Thou shalte covette thy neighboures house, filed, servant, maide …,” omitting the crucial word “not.” In the tradition of the infamous “Wicked Bible,” we have named this remarkable edition the “Covet Bible.”
This book offers a rare combination: an unobtainable edition of Tyndale’s Pentateuch, a striking biblical misprint, and a book represented by no other copy in private hands.
References
Herbert 94; ESTC S126044; USTC 517869.