Great Bible

 
Identifier
GRO #13
BOK.ENG.AD1566
Title
Great Bible
Alternative Title
Cromwell Bible
Whitchurch's Bible
Chained Bible
Cranmer's Bible
Description
This Great Bible, printed by Myles Coverdale in Paris in 1539, was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English. Authorized by King Henry VIII of England, it was read in church services of the Church of England, and includes much of the Tyndale Bible with the objectable features revised.

This Bible has been separated into parts based on the books of the Old Testament (The Pentateuch, The Books, The Prophets) and the New Testament. Each separation is noted by a decorative page covered in various scenes from the Bible. Before the Old and New Testament there is a title page depicting Moses and Christ facing each other with Queen Elizabeth the I at the bottom.

This illustration not only shows the connections between the Old and New Testament, but also the importance of religion to English monarchs at the time. Queen Elizabeth I was a driving force behind the rise of England as a world superpower. "The policies of England in the latter half of the sixteenth century, when the nation rose to prominence in Europe, were her policies. The wisdom of most of those policies was her wisdom and that of councilors she appointed. Altogether she is one of history’s most remarkable women" (Ellis).

The Bible scene illustration page is missing before Genesis, and the title page for the Old Testament has been reconstructed by conservationists.
* * *
Ellis, Robert P. 2020. “Elizabeth I.” Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia.
Date Created
1566 AD
Creator
Myles Coverdale
Geographical Coverage
Temporal Coverage
16th Century
Format
Print
Collecting Areas
Groberg Collection
English History of Writing Collection
English English Bibles
Is Referenced By
Geneva Bible
Language
English
Subject
Type
Bible
Bibliographic Citation
The Great Bible. London: At the Cost and Charges of Rich. Carmarden, 1566.

Item sets