Beschreibung:

Two leaves, each 7.25 x 10.5 in. (quarto), that appear to be from a Geneva Bible, likely ca 1578 (the 1560 edition apparently was smaller, intended to be carried, possibly hidden). One page is I Peter, Ch. II, verse 9 - end; Ch. III, Ch. IIII vs. I (pp. 612-613). The other is Matthew Ch. I - III:7 (pp 489-490) (header "The genealogie and birth of Iesus Christ"), including the nativity story of the Wisemen from the East. The Tyndale Bible was significant in being the first English Bible (1537, 1526 for New Testament) translated from the original Hebrew and Greek. It was so radical that Matthew Tyndale was hunted for over a decade before being arrested and subsequently executed for heresy (as were some of his assistants later). Tyndale's dying request was that the King of England's eyes be opened. Two years later, they were, and Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's ecclesiastical regent and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, ordered an English Bible for all pulpits in England. Then Henry died, and was succeeded by his 10-year-old son, Edward(VI), who himself died in 1553. His half-sister, Mary, acceded to the throne, determined to return England to Rome. Her reign of persecution of Protestants earned her the sobriquet "Bloody Mary." She had all English Bibles burned, then started on the writers, beginning with John Rogers Tyndale's earlier assistant, then Thomas Cranmer. Protestants by the hundreds fled, finding refuge in Geneva, Switzerland. It was a republic, at the time controlled by John Calvin and other Protestants. It was also a center of Biblical scholarship. Bibles in Greek, French, as well as the next English versions came out of Geneva during this period. Translators of the Geneva Bible are unknown, but probably many were involved. Most agree that primary among them was William Whittingham for the New Testament. Others are thought to have been Miles Coverdale (who published an English translation just before Tyndale), Christopher Goodman, Anthony Gilb (especially Psalms), Thomas Sampson William Cole John Knox William Kethe, Rowland Hall, John Pullain, John Bodley, John Baron, William Williams and likely others. They also used the Tyndale and Coverdale translations among others. Queen Mary died in 1558, and it was safe for people to return to England. Many of these men remained in Geneva to finish the Bible they were working on. It was completed in 1560. The New Testament had been finished in 1557 and published then. It was corrected/updated in 1560 and the whole Bible published together. The first printing was 6.5 x 9.75 in. This edition seems to be slightly larger and later, with extensive margin notes. The Geneva Bible had notes on every page except the Apocrypha. The Geneva Bible was the first brought to America by the Pilgrims. It was the first English Bible to break chapters into verses. It was so accurate that the later King James Bible retained over 90% of the Geneva Bible's wording. Condition: Moderate overall toning. Matthew trimmed slightly askew, losing a word or two lower right. Most of the damage is along the binding edge, but no type is impacted.