Geneva Bible 1560 Edition

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.

The Geneva Bible was a monumental achievement in the history of Protestant Bible translation. Born in a time of religious and political upheaval it helped foster Scripture literacy among the common people of England and offered for the first time "study resources" to make the Bible easier to understand.

Features that made this Bible revolutionary then and still makes it valuable now:

• Text printed in readable roman type
• Division of the text into numbered verses and includes cross references
• Italic type used for words not in the original languages
• Marks placed over the accented syllables to aid in pronouncing proper names
• Comes with the Apocrypha (like most Bibles printed before 1800)
• Extensive textual and explanatory commentary placed in the margins
• Words/phrases displayed at the heads of pages to promote Scripture memorization
• Over 30 maps and woodcuts illustrating biblical scenes, including labeled diagrams of the Ark of the Covenant, Tabernacle, and more

Features that make this particular version of the Geneva Bible a top pick:

• Clear facsimile--this is a copy, yet it is still easy to read
• Original and authentic--complete, original commentary, maps, and woodcut illustrations
• Added context--solid overviews and an in-depth introduction to the Geneva Bible
• Quality--includes ribbon markers, sewn binding, and more!

Enjoy seeing original illustrations from the Geneva Bible. Not all modern Bibles include illustrations yet the Geneva Bible of 1560 did. It was created so both the common people and church leaders could deepen their understanding of the Bible--and included labeled diagrams and maps.

Fascinating facts about the Geneva Bible:

• 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: the Geneva Bible.
• It was the first Bible to include many "study" features, including margin commentary, verses, readable roman type, and more. It was even a quarter of the size of most Bibles at the time, making it easy to carry around!
• The Pilgrims brought it with them on the Mayflower's perilous voyage to religious freedom.
• It would have been the version John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, would have read.

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.

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.

Apocrypha Book List:

- 1 Esdras
- 2 Esdras
- Tobit
- Judith
- Additions to Esther
- Wisdom of Solomon
- Ecclesiasticus
- Baruch, with the Epistle of Jeremiah
- Prayer of Azariah
- Susanna
- Bel and the Dragon
- Prayer of Manasseh
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees