GRO #19

BOK.ENG.AD1613

King James Bible & Genealogies (1613)

This later edition King James Bible contains an impressive illustrated guide to the genealogies of the Bible from Adam and Eve to Christ with contextual notes and illustrations to remind the reader where these people existed in the Bible narrative. A previous owner of this Bible also wrote lyrics from a hymn called "Here is the Spring Where Waters Flow" on the second enpaper. To the left they have matched various scriptures which match the themes of each lyric. This inscription aligns with the hymn printed in a Bible by C. Barker, in London, in 1575, and read, together with the various references to Holy Scripture" (Julian).

The publication of the King James Bible was sponsored by its namesake, King James VI/I (James VI during his rule of Scotland, James I during his rule of England). The KJV has become one of the most widely used Bibles across the world and stands as a standard translation. Forty-seven known individuals were selected for the task of translating the Bible and were “formed into six companies” as follows:

(1) Westminster, Genesis-II Kings
(2) Cambridge, I Chronicles-Ecclesiastes
(3) Oxford, Isaiah-Malachi
(4) Cambridge, Apocrypha
(5) Oxford, Gospels, Acts, Apocalypse
(6) Westminster, Romans-Jude

All of the knowledge of Bible translation, due the the multitude of Bibles which had come before, all came together in these committees to translate the KJV. No marginal notes were added to the Bible, as King “James himself had been annoyed by what he considered seditious comments in the Geneva Bible (Ackroyd).

In addition to his obvious love of scripture, James VI/I was a controversial figure. During his time as a ruler in Scotland, he engaged in a "satanic panic" which resulted in the torture and eventual burning of "about 2,500 people--the vast majority of them women" (The Observer). This crusade against "The feareful abounding at this time in this countrie, of thefe deteftable flames of the diuell" was perpetuated by the book he published in 1603, Dæmonologie (James I).

"James VI -- later James I of England -- became obsessed with witchcraft after the execution of his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, in 1587. He blamed a violent storm when sailing back from Denmark with his new wife, Anne, on evil spells and ordered a vicious witch hunt. Macbeth, thought to be first performed at court in 1606, three years after James became king of England, catered to the new monarch's witch obsession. It was another 130 years before the law was changed and the executions ended" (The Observer).

This is a later edition of the KJV where they corrected the mistake of “he” in Ruth 3:15 and Matthew 26:36 incorrectly printed “Judas” instead of “Jesus.”
* * *
Ackroyd, Peter R., C. F Evans, G. W. H. Lampe, and S. L. Greenslade. 1963. The Cambridge History of the Bible. University Press, 1963-70. Vol. 3.

James I, King of England. 1603. Dæmonologie. [Electronic Resource] : In Forme of a Dialogue, Diuided into Three Books: Written by the High and Mightie Prince, Iames by the Grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. Early English Books Online. Printed by Arnold Hatfield for Robert VVald-graue.

Julian, John. 1907. A Dictionary of Hymnology, Setting Forth the Origin and History of Christian Hymns of All Ages and Nations. [2d rev. ed. with new supplement]. Dover Publications.

The Observer (London, England). 2020. “300 Years on, Will Thousands of Women Burned as Witches Finally Get Justice? Lawyer Seeks Pardon for 2,500 Scots Who Were Tortured and Killed in ‘Satanic Panic’ Begun by James VI; Lawyer Seeks Pardon for 2,500 Scots Who Were Tortured and Killed in ‘Satanic Panic’ Begun by James VI.”

1613 AD

Robert Barker

King James VI of Scotland

King James I of England

London

England

17th Century

Print

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English

History of the hymn found written in the beginning of the Bible can be found in "A Dictionary of Hymnology" by John Julian (vol. 2, p1530-1)

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Bible

_the Genealogies Recorded in the Sacred Scriptvres, According to euery Family and Tribe. With The Line of our Sauiour Jesvs Christ, ovferued from Adam to the bleffed Virgin Mary_ (London: J.S., 1613), and _The Holy Bible, Containing the Old Teftament, and the New: Newly Tranflated out of the Original Tongues: And with the former Tranflations diligently compared and reuifed, By his Maiefties fpeciall commandment_ (London: Robert Barker, 1613).