Holy Bible 1682

6B Holy Bible. London: Printed by the assigns of John Bill deceas'd and by Henry Hills and Thomas Newcomb, 1682

Notes

The printing history of the Bible began in the mid-15th century with Johannes Gutenberg’s Latin Bible (c. 1454–1455), the first major book printed using movable type in Europe, which marked a turning point in both religious life and the spread of knowledge. Over the following centuries, Bible printing expanded rapidly, aided by the Reformation, which emphasized access to scripture in vernacular languages; this led to translations and printings in German, English, French, and many other languages. Printers gradually improved accuracy, layout, chapter and verse numbering, and cross-references, while advances in typography and paper made Bibles more affordable and widely available, transforming the Bible from a manuscript tradition accessible mainly to clergy into a book owned and read by ordinary people.

Bibles printed in the late 1600s reflect a period of consolidation rather than major new translations, as earlier 17th-century versions had become firmly established. In England and its colonies, the King James Version overwhelmingly dominated, with printers focusing on correcting earlier errors, regularizing spelling and punctuation, and improving readability rather than altering the text itself. These late-17th-century editions appeared in a range of formats—from large folios for church use to smaller quartos and octavos for private reading such as this one—showing the growing demand for personal ownership. Decorative elements such as engraved title pages, maps, and genealogical tables became more common, while marginal notes were reduced compared to earlier study Bibles like the Geneva. The late 1600s was a time when the Bible’s printed form was becoming standardized, stable, and central to everyday religious life.

Description

8vo. 7.48 x 4.72 inches. Engraved general title page dated 1682. Title page to New Testament dated 1694. Bound with the "Psalms of David in Meeter", dated 1693. Lacks first page of Genesis. Wear and small tearing to edges of first five pages, including marbled endpaper in front. Attractively bound in full paneled calf with embossed decorative border on front and back covers, faded gilt embossing on four border accents (two on each cover), five raised bands on spine, engraved silver corner pieces to outer corners and round silver center pieces, the one on the front cover engraved with the initials IA and the one on the back with the date 1695.  

Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 2 1/4 inches