The 1611 King James Pulpit Folio First Edition First Printing “He” Bible

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1808 Charles Thomson’s English-Language
Septuagint and New Testament

[Bible in English.] The/ Holy Bible,/ Containing/ The Old and New Covenant,/ Commonly Called/ The Old and New Testament:/ Translated From the Greek.

By Charles Thomson, Late Secretary to the Congress of the United States. Philadelphia: Printed by Jane Aitken, No. 71, North Third Street. 1808.

First edition. Four volumes, each with general title page and volume title page. Octavo format signed in fours. Complete. Published without The Apocrypha, though the Psalter contains Psalm 151 (unnumbered).

The first English translation of the Greek Septuagint anywhere.

Also the first English translation of the New Testament in the New World.

The first Bible printed by a woman: Jane Aitken, daughter of Robert Aitken who printed the very first English Bible in America (1782), which carried a printed endorsement by Charles Thomson (see note 1 below).

Thomson based this translation on the text of the second edition of the Greek Septuagint printed in England (see note 2 below).

Except for some general very light browning, this copy is in superb condition. Consistently clean and bright and pleasingly fresh. An approximately 3” by 5” area on the general title page of Vol. I is browned from offsetting from a piece of paper formerly laid in; similar offsetting in Exodus 32. Occasional minor flaws or stains (e.g. Vol. IV leaf zz in Colossians).

Old full diced black calf (light wear), lately rebacked to style with simple gilt.

Charles Thomson was born in County Derry. Ireland in 1729 and arrived in the American colonies in 1740 as an eleven-year-old orphan, his mother having died before embarkation and his father having died on the sea crossing with young Charles. He studied ancient languages and theology, and through the influence of Benjamin Franklin received the mastership of the Latin School of Philadelphia.

Thomson kept the records of the Treaty of Easton (1757) on behalf of the Indian tribes and was adopted into the Delaware Indian Nation; he was named by the Indians “Man of Truth.” He served as the Secretary of every Congress from 1774 until 1789. He designed the Great Seal of the United States. It was Thomson who officially informed George Washington of his election to the Presidency. On July 4th of 1776, only two signatures were affixed to the authentication copy of the unanimously adopted Declaration of Independence: those of John Hancock as President of the Congress and Charles Thomson as Secretary. However, when the calligraphic official version that is so well known today was ready shortly thereafter (ready by July 19th and signed by Congress on August 2nd), the Secretary’s signature was not required. After his retirement from public service, Charles Thomson devoted his time to Biblical studies and, specifically, nineteen years to this superb work of Biblical translation. Thomson died in 1824.

Herbert 1514. Darlow and Moule 1006. Hills, EBA, 153. DAB, XVIII, 481-2.

Note 1:
“Whereupon, RESOLVED, THAT the United States in Congress Assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. AITKEN, as subservient to the interest of religion, as well as an instance of the progress of arts in this country, and being satisfied … of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States and hereby authorize him to publish this Recommendation in the manner he shall think proper.” – CHA. THOMSON, Sec’ry (from the preliminary matter of the 1782 Aitken Bible, “The Bible of the Revolution”).

Note 2:
The Thomson translation is based on John Field’s Cambridge 1665 second English edition of the Septuagint (Darlow and Moule 4701), which similarly supplied a Greek NT to make a complete Bible. The first edition of the Greek Septuagint in England was London: R. Daniel, 1653 (DM 4692).

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The first hot press edition of the Bible printed in America.

In the advertisement, April 30th, 1796, it was proposed to deliver the whole in 40 numbers, at 1/2 dollar each; one of which will be completed every two weeks. The finished work was completed in November 1798. A scarce American Bible.

The title page reads: The Holy Bible, Containing The Old and New Testaments; Together with the Apocrypha; Translated out of the Original Tongues: And with the Former Translations, Diligently Compared and Reviled.

Volume II. Philadelphia, Printed for John Thompson & Abraham Small, [From the Hot Press of John Thompson.] M.DCC.XCVIII.

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Note: This set is, to our knowledge, the only matched binding set of all five first folio editions of the 1611 King James Bible extant today, making this set a unique world-class acquisition.  Beyond that, it is also the most deeply discounted and value-priced item we have ever offered in our 27+ year history in this business.  In May of 2006, the top antique Bible appraiser in the world (not affiliated with our company) independently appraised this set, at the request of the owner.  His appraisal estimate was “$850,000”.  A copy of this appraisal is available upon request.

If you adjust that “$850,000” appraisal in 2006 dollars into 2023 dollars using the U.S. Government’s own current hyper-conservative “CPI” to inflation-adjust the figure, that comes to an appraisal value of over $1.25 million in 2023 dollars.  If you use the “Shadowstats” CPI Online Calculator Tool (the method of inflation adjusting prices used by the U.S. Government to determine the CPI prior to recent decades), it comes to well over $3 million in 2023 dollars.  The current asking price is less than one tenth of that amount: a liquidation price level of only $299,500.  While these inflation adjustments of the original 2006 Appraisal Value are valid and interesting observations; we recognize that a “multi-million-dollar” valuation is not warranted.  That notwithstanding, even if we pretended that the dollar has lost no value since 2006 (which would require not just a vivid imagination, but a good bit of denial), the original “$850,000” appraisal of 2006 stands is stark contrast to the current “fire sale” price of $299,500.

This is an absolutely astounding investment opportunity to acquire this one-of-a-kind historically iconic set of all the first edition folios of history’s most printed, most influential, and most loved book… at pennies on the dollar.

The “Great He” Bible
First Edition, first printing, of the King James Bible
1611

[Bible in English.] The/Holy/Bible,/Conteyning the Old Testament,/ and the New:/ Newly Translated out of/the Originall/tongues: & with the former Translations/ diligently compared and reuised, by his/Maiesties speciall Comandement./Appointed to be read in Churches./Imprinted/at London by Robert/Barker, Printer to the Kings/ most Excellent/Maiestie./Anno Dom. 1611.

Folio. True First Folio issue of the King James Bible, known as the “Great He” Bible. The main distinguishing point sought by dealers and collectors is at Ruth 3:15 where, in the first issue, Ruth is referred to as “he” (thus, the “Great He” Bible). There are other distinguishing points to be reckoned and in the copy at hand these are as follows:

Genesis 10:16 — Emorite for Amorite; Exodus 14:10 — three lines repeated; Exodus 38:11 — hoopes for hookes; Leviticus 13:56 — plaine for plague; Leaf GGGG2, verso — Joel for Micah; Leaf IIII6, recto — Anocrynha for Apocrypha; Leaf XXXX3, verso — Ecclesiasticus for Baruch; Matthew 26:36 — “Jesus” as called for in this issue.

All points are of first issue, first state.

Collates complete but for general title-page, which is here supplied in expert facsimile. Inserted map, printed and supplied separately and not called for in collation, is here present with minor edge repair. A6 extended at lower margin with some pen facsimile. Other very minor edge repairs at Finis of Revelation. Very little internal soiling, much less than expected. Overall exceptionally clean and crisp. A very tall, nicely margined copy.

Full modern calf to style by Starr Bookworks of Arizona. Red morocco spine lables. Gilt extra. Marbled endpapers.

Herbert, A.S., Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of The English Bible, 1525-1961 (1968) number 309. Darlow and Moule #240. STC # 2216.

WITH:

The “Great She” Bible
Folio Issue of the King James Bible
1613 and 1611

[Bible in English.] The/Holy/Bible,/Conteyning the Old Testa-/ment, and the New:/ Newly Translated out of/the Originall Tongues: and with/the former Translations diligently/compared and reuised, by his/Maiesties speciall Com-/mandement./Appointed to be read in Churches./Imprinted/at London by Robert/Barker, Printer to the/King’s most Excellent/Maiestie./Anno Dom. 1611.

Folio issue of the King James Bible, known as the “Great She” Bible (vide infra). Fry’s “first edition, second issue, without reprints” of the King James Bible. Herbert: “Others more correctly style it the ‘second folio issue, 1613, 1611,’ inasmuch as it deserves to be reckoned a distinct issue.” The general title is dated 1611 and the New Testament title is dated 1613. Probably the greater part of this issue was, in fact, printed in 1611 though delayed. The main distinguishing point sought by dealers and collectors is at Ruth 3:15 where, in the first issue Ruth is referred to as “he” (the “Great He” Bible) and in the second issue (copy at hand) Ruth is correctly referred to as “she.”

But there are other distinguishing points to be reckoned and in the copy at hand these all match Herbert 319 as called for, with one exception: leaf Xxxx3 in Baruch is headlined Ecclesiasticus, which is a point of the first issue “Great He” Bible of 1611. Matthew 26:36 has the called for misprint “Judas” here corrected in old manuscript to “Jesus.” Bound with the sometimes inserted map.

General title-page in facsimile. Preliminaries repaired. With Genealogies. Some tears/repairs, margin extensions. Some leaves probably supplied from another copy.

Herbert, A.S., Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of The English Bible, 1525-1961 (1968) number 319. Darlow and Moule #246. STC # 2224.

WITH:

The King James Bible
Third Folio, 1617

[Bible in English.] The/Holy/Bible./Containing/the Old Testa-/ment, and the New:/Newly translated out of the/Original Tongues: and with/the former Translations diligently/compared and reuised by his Ma-/iesties speciall Commande-/ment./Appointed to be read in/Churches./Imprinted at/ London by Robert Barker,/Printer to the Kings most/Excellent Maiestie./Anno 1617.

The third distinct folio issue of the King James Bible.

Genuine title-page. Complete. Collation: A4 B4 C6 D4 A-Z6 etc – Aaaaaa-Dddddd6; [5D1] is NT title. 732 ff. Without inserted map. Genealogies inserted.

Jeremiah 18:3 reads “whelles” as called for in this issue. Woodcut of Saint John at Psalm 122, as called for.

Genuine title-page with lower margin extension. Minor occasional damp. Other minor flaws (e.g. – for ID purposes only: ink droplets at Cc[6]v and Dd[1]r; underlining in II Kings 20:7; lower corner repairs in gathering 4D (Daniel); [4R5] with closed tear; 5A3 foremargin repair; 5D3 and 4 with corner repair; etc. especially toward end with last two leaves extended all around, but affecting only a few letters.

Full modern calf by Starr Bookworks of Arizona, gilt, with red calf spine labels and marbled endpapers.
Herbert 353. Darlow & Moule 273. STC 2247. Lea Wilson 112.

WITH:

The King James Bible
Fourth Folio Issue, 1634

[Bible in English.] The/Holy/Bible./Containing/the Old Testa-/ment, and the New:/Newly translated out of the/Originall Tongues: and with/the former Translations diligently/compared and reuised, By his/Maiesties speciall Com-/mandement./Appointed to be read in Churches./Imprinted at/ London by Robert Barker,/Printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie: and by the assignes/of Iohn Bill./ Anno 1634.

The fourth distinct folio issue of the King James Bible.

Collation: A4 B4 C6 D4 A-Z6 etc – Aaaaaa-Dddddd6; 732 ff. (collates as 1617 issue). Genealogies inserted. Jeremiah 18:3 corrected from 1617 edition. No inserted map. “CR” in Arms; text as called for on D1v and D1r. Hebrews 12:1 with reading called for.

Title-page repaired. Occasional wormtracks, always marginal, sometimes repaired (e.g. I Kings 7 – end of II Kings, etc.). Some minor occasional damp and other staining and some internal flaws (e.g. – for ID purposes: leaf [Ii5] with closed tear; Yy2 with closed tear; [3K6] with closed tear; 3R[1] supplied from another copy; [3S6] and 3T[1] with closed tear; marginal burn hole in [4L6]; 4Z2 with repair affecting a few letters; 5L2 with short cut; 5S2 mis-signed 4S2, a printer’s error; [6D6], last leaf of Revelation tired and with some repair but much nicer than usually seen.

Overall a near fine copy.

Full modern calf, gilt, by Starr Bookworks of Arizona, with red calf lettering pieces and marbled endpapers.

Herbert 487; Darlow & Moule 376; STC 2312. Lea Wilson 112.

WITH:

The King James Bible
Fifth Folio Issue, 1640/1639

[Bible in English.] The/Holy/Bible./Containing/the Old/Testament/ and/ The New./Newly translated out of/ the originall Tongues:/ And with the former Translations/ diligently compared and revised,/ by His Majesties speciall/ commandment./Appointed to be read in Churches./London:/ Printed by Robert Barker,/Printer to the Kings most Excellent/ Majestie: And by the assignes of/ John Bill. 1640. [NT title dated 1639.]

The fifth and last distinct folio issue of the King James Bible.

Collation: A4 B4 C6 D4 A-Z6 etc – Aaaaaa-Dddddd6; 732 ff. (collates as 1617 edition). Textually complete. Without inserted genealogies or map. General title-page in facsimile. Gathering A and B of preliminaries tired and with repairs. C4 in Calendar trimmed at bottom. Amateur coloring to opening initial woodcut. Occasional corner and margin repairs and closed tears. Some general light soiling. Ownership ink notes on flyleaves front and back. Other minor flaws: e.g., for ID purposes: lower margin chip to [Kk6] in II Kings; pentrial on [Xx5] in Nehemiah (and elsewhere); Iii[1] and [Iii5] repaired in Proverbs; [Mm4] and [Mm5] in Isaiah likely supplied; [Qq4] and [Qq5] in Isaiah with top edge chips; [4B6] in Ezekiel and [4D4] in Daniel with notable margin repair; 4Q[1] with a marginal repair into notes; [5D1] NT title supplied; [5D5] with repaired chip into text; [5T6]v and 5V[1]r with spilled ink stains. Final leaf of Revelation, [6D6] tired and soiled but complete.

Overall a very nice copy in a modern full calf binding by Starr Bookworks of Arizona, gilt, with red spine labels; plain endpapers.

Herbert 543; Darlow & Moule 421; STC 2339.

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Looking back on it now, it turned out that the problem which solved itself most easily was that one that seemed at the time to be the most difficult. The selection of a designer took up the greater part of Mr. Zevin’s thought, arousing alternately high hopes and deep despair. The grandeur and scope of the work contemplated called for a conception and ability whose scale few men could fulfill. A few, very few names were discussed back and forth interminably, but every discussion returned to and ended invariably with the one name brought up at the beginning.
Bruce Rodgers, of course, was this name. the thought of publishing an American folio Bible fashioned by his hand was an exciting prospect. Yet who could hope that Mr. Rodgers would consent to undertake another folio Bible. He had already designed one such work, the Oxford Lectern Bible, and there was no reason to expect that he would wish to assume another task of such magnitude.

The months passed and the discussions continued. Then suddenly and quite unexpectedly the problem sold itself.
Through Philip C. Duschnes, the New York bookseller, World learned, in September of 1945, that Bruce Rogers would like to make another folio Bible.

Here was news, and news of a most provocative nature. It was quickly communicated to Mr. Zevin in Cleveland. Within a week the first meeting took place with Mr. Rogers. On October 19 the first cost estimates were submitted and the decision to publish was made. In November and early December of 1945, correspondence between Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Zevin formalized the agreement whereby Bruce Rogers would design a folio Bible for The World Publishing Company, to be printed in an edition of close to 1,000 copies, and to be sold for just under $200 per copy (in mid-1940’s dollars, which is about $3,500 in 2023 dollars).

One of the important factors making such action possible was the participation, from the beginning, of Mr. A. Colish, is one of our country’s great printers. This solved the problem of who was to set and print the work. It was Mr. Colish who worked with BR on the preparation of the numerous sample pages before the final selection of the typeface and decorative treatment. His subsequent supervision of the work, from typesetting through presswork, which consumed more than three years’ time and taxed his highest standards of craftsmanship, is among the great contributions made to the WORLD BIBLE.

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