Holy Bible in Leather Box

5B London: London Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1819. In Original Box.

Notes

The printing history of the Holy Bible is one of the most significant in the world, both technologically and culturally. The first major book printed using movable type was the Gutenberg Bible, produced by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, around 1455. This Latin Vulgate edition marked the beginning of the print era, revolutionizing the dissemination of religious texts. Over the following centuries, the Bible was translated into numerous languages, with key milestones including William Tyndale’s English translation in the 1520s (which influenced the King James Version of 1611), Martin Luther’s German Bible (1522–1534), and the Geneva Bible (1560), popular among English Protestants. The invention of the printing press allowed for mass production, enabling ordinary people to access scripture for the first time—an essential driver of the Reformation and widespread literacy. The Bible has since become the most printed and distributed book in history, with thousands of versions and billions of copies produced in virtually every language.

Description 

Full dark blue calf leather with gilt ruling and lettering got the spine. Housed in a black Morocco solander box lined with purple velvet. Decorative metal clasp, gilt lettering to the spine and boards decorated with metallic details to the upper board and in blind to the lower. Unique case where a larger Bible is housed in such an ornate box. Very fine condition overall. 

Size: 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 2 1/2