Description
Special Note: As a general rule, we do not endorse any English bibles besides the King James Version. But we feel that pre-1611 English bible translations are and were historically significant in the development of the 1611 Authorized King James Bible. For this reason, we are proud to offer this rare facsimile edition of the 1560 Geneva Bible to our customers.
Sixteenth century English Protestant scholars were determined to make the scriptures understandable to common people, so that, as William Tyndale famously put it, “the boy that driveth the plough should know more of the scriptures” than the educated man. However, Queen Mary’s (1553–1558) persecution of her Protestant subjects caused many to flee to the continent to avoid imprisonment or execution. Geneva, Switzerland soon became a center for Protestant biblical scholarship. It was there that a group of the movement’s leading lights gathered to undertake a fresh translation of the scriptures into English, beginning in 1556. As the first English Bible to be fully translated from the original languages, the Geneva Bible was the product of some of the finest biblical scholars of its day. It was the first to feature many innovations in the field of Bible publishing.
Perhaps the Geneva Bible’s greatest contribution was its commentary, which fueled the emerging practice of sermonizing and helped foster scripture literacy.
It was the first to feature many innovations in the field of Bible publishing. Such as:
- Text printed in readable Roman type
- Division of the text into numbered verses
- Italic type used for words not in the original languages
- Marks placed over the accented syllables to aid in pronouncing proper names
- Extensive textual and explanatory commentary placed in the margins
- Words/phrases displayed at the heads of pages to promote scripture memorization
- Maps and woodcuts illustrating biblical scenes included
English settlers that voyaged to the New World favored the Geneva Bible. It is probable that the Geneva Bible came to America in 1607 and was used in the Jamestown colony. Thirteen years later the Pilgrims brought it with them on the Mayflower's perilous voyage to religious freedom. And now, the 1560 Geneva Bible in it's original form... is available to you.
