KJV Labels and Text Panels [Text adjacent to the Gutenberg] In the mid 1450s, over 150 years before the publication of the King James Bible, Johann Gutenberg printed the first Bible produced using movable type. The text of the Gutenberg Bible is in Latin. While printing with moveable type made books, including Bibles, more widely available, the dominance of Latin Bibles meant that the text itself was still inaccessible to many. The first complete, printed English Bible did not appear until 1535. Visit The King James Bible: Its History and Influence exhibition to learn more about the history of English translations leading to the King James Bible and to see the how subsequent generations of artists and printers were inspired, like Gutenberg, to design and print the Bible.

[intro case with KJV in it]

[141] The First Edition of the King James Bible The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1611) The King’s printer, Robert Barker (d. 1645), was responsible for printing this first edition of the King James Bible in 1611. There are 1,464 pages of Bible text, arranged in two columns, with 59-lines per column. The typeface is black letter. In addition to the new translation of the Bible, this edition included a title page, a dedication, a translator’s preface, a calendar, an almanac, genealogies, and a map of Canaan. To see more of the first edition of the King James Bible, visit the back wall of the gallery, which features enlarged copies of the title pages

and genealogies, as well as a touchscreen featuring several books of the first edition. [Case 1- Martyrs and Heretics ] Martyrs and Heretics: Translating the Bible into English The Christian Bible first circulated in manuscripts written in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek. Biblical scholar Jerome (ca. 347–420) produced a Latin translation that became known as the “Vulgate,” from “versio vulgata” or “the common translation.” The Vulgate became the official translation used by the Christian Church. Centuries passed before translations into other languages became readily available. Church leaders believed scripture was intended only for the clergy who then communicated it to the people. In England, vernacular translation became associated with those advocating reformation of Church and State, and, as a result, translating the Bible into English was an act of heresy in England until 1539. Nevertheless, religious reformers John Wyclif (ca. 1328– 1384) and William Tyndale (ca. 1494–1536) championed translating the Bible into English.

[188] Cardigan Chaucer manuscript, ca. 1450 This manuscript in Middle English includes portions of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Before the widespread adoption of moveable type, books, including the Bible, were written entirely by hand. This manuscript offers an example of a typical format of early Bibles, and Chaucer (ca. 1343–1400) also frequently alludes to biblical stories in the Canterbury Tales.

[facs of ms-bodl_959-332r.tif] Wycliffite Old Testament manuscript, ca. 1380s–90s (Bodleian MS Bodl. 959) Digital reproduction courtesy of The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford After John Wyclif’s death in 1384, his followers, known as “Lollards” or “Wycliffites” worked clandestinely to produce an English translation of the Bible. Shown here is a page of a late-fourteenthcentury Wycliffite Bible opened to the beginning of the Song of Songs. The book’s title is rubricated, or written in red, at the top of the page.

[170-loan] William Tyndale, The obedyence of a Chrysten man (London, 1537?) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. William Tyndale (ca. 1494–1536) knew that “to translate the New Testament… there was no place in all England,” so he published his translation in Worms, Germany in 1526, and copies were smuggled into England. Branded a heretic, he defended translating the Bible into English in the book seen here, arguing “That the scripture ought to be in the mother tong[u]e.” This book and others by Tyndale were banned by Henry VIII in 1530, but printers continued to print these works.

[137] The New Testament in English after the Greeke translation annexed wyth the translation of Erasmus in Latin (Londini: Offincina Thomae Gaultieri, 1550) William Tyndale (ca. 1494–1536) attended Oxford and Cambridge as a young man. He wanted to translate the Bible into English using Hebrew and Greek source texts, rather than the Latin Vulgate. When

the bishop of London rebuffed Tyndale, he moved to Germany and proceeded on his own. The first edition for Tyndale’s New Testament appeared in 1525. Tyndale introduced a number of phrases that the King James translators retained in the 1611 edition, including Matthew 9:2 “be of good cheer.”

[135] Biblia the Byble: that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faythfully translated in Englyshe, and newly oversene & corrected (Southwarke: James Nycolson, 1537) In 1535, shortly before William Tyndale’s death, his associate Miles Coverdale (ca. 1488-1569) completed and printed a translation of the Bible while exiled in Antwerp. A second edition was printed that same year in Southwark, England. Coverdale relied heavily on Tyndale’s translation, but worked primarily from the Vulgate and from Martin Luther’s German translation. The King James translators retained many phrases from Coverdale including “the valley of the shadowe of death” and “thou enoyntest my heade with oyle.”

[Case 2: printing the bible in English] [171-LOAN] The Byble, which is all the holy Scripture: in whych are contayned the Olde and Newe Testament truly and purely translated into Englysh by Thomas Matthew (Antwerp: Printed by Matthew Crom for Richard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch, London, 1537) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. Translator John Rogers cautiously published Matthew’s Bible under the pseudonym “Thomas Matthew,” probably a combination of the names of two apostles. Matthew’s Bible was essentially a Tyndale Bible, with those books Tyndale did not translate supplemented by

Coverdale’s translations. [facs tnaspn123(197)- national archives] A letter from Cranmer to Cromwell commending Matthew’s Bible and requesting license to publish, August 4, 1537 Digital reproduction courtesy The National Archives, London In this letter accompanying a copy of Matthew’s Bible, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer writes to Thomas Cromwell, “I like it better than any other translation heretofore made.” Furthermore, Cramner requests that Cromwell show the book to King Henry and obtain permission to license it, so that it “may be sold and read of every person.” A lack of available copies moved them to initiate a revision that would become known as the Great Bible. Cromwell commissioned translator Miles Coverdale to oversee the revision that resulted in the 1539 Great Bible, the only officially authorized version of the English Bible.

Geneva and Douay-Rheims: A Battle of the Annotations The most popular English Bible to precede the King James Bible was the Geneva Bible, prepared by English Protestant exiles during the reign of Catholic Queen Mary I. In 1582, the Catholic Church published its first portion of an English Bible translation, the Rheims New Testament. Comparing annotations found in Revelation 12:1–6 shows how these Protestant and Catholic translations engaged each other. The Geneva Bible contends that the figure of the Whore of Babylon represents “the Antichrist, that is, the Pope.” The Rheims New Testament responds, “The Pope can not be Antichrist.” King James wanted to avoid the commentary and controversy of the annotations of the Geneva Bible when he commissioned the new translation.

[173- LOAN]

The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languages. With moste profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance as they may appeare in the epistle to the reader (Geneva: Rouland Hall 1560) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. Protestant scholars fled to Geneva after Mary I’s ascendance to the throne in 1553. There they undertook a new English translation of the Bible, complete with extensive, heavily Calvinist interpretive notes. The Geneva Bible (1560) introduced a number of features that would soon become standard in English printed Bibles, including the use of roman type, numbered verses, and italics for English words not represented in the original texts. The Geneva Bible became incredibly popular among English speakers and is the translation most frequently quoted and paraphrased by William Shakespeare. [136] The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes (Rheims: John Fogny, 1582) In 1559, when the Protestant Elizabeth I (1533–1603) succeeded Mary, Catholic scholars went into exile in Flanders. The translators used the Latin Vulgate as their source text, rather than relying on previous English translations. Named for the two cities in which it was completed, the DouayRheims Bible (1582/1610) also contained extensive annotations, many rebutting those of the Geneva Bible.

ADJACENT BLANTON CASE B/C TOO LARGE [172- loan] The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the content of al the holy scrypture, both of ye olde, and newe testament, with a prologe therinto, made by the reuerende father in God, Thomas archbysshop of Cantorbury (London: Printed by Edward Whitchurch, 1540) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. Like the Coverdale Bible, the title page of the Great Bible depicts Henry VIII handing out copies of the Bible to his clergy, though he now appears in greater detail at the top of the page, just below Jesus. The people below shout “Vivat Rex!” (“Long live the King!”). The Great Bible, based on the Tyndale and Coverdale translations, is still the only authorized version of the English Bible. Although known in England as the Authorized Version, the King James Bible was never officially authorized. {WHEN LOAN GOES BACK REPLACE GREAT BIBLE WITH 149] The English Hexapla : exhibiting the six important English translations of the New Testament Scriptures (London: S. Bagster and Sons, 1841) “Hexapla” is a term scholars use to denote an edition of the Bible containing six versions. Traditionally, hexapla have replicated the Old Testament texts compiled by Origen (ca. 184–253): Hebrew, Hebrew transliterated into Greek, Aquila’s very literal Greek translation, Symmachus’s Greek translation, the Septuagint, and Theodotion’s translation. This hexapla is an English version, providing readers with the opportunity to compare the New Testaments of Wyclif (Wiclif), Tyndale, the Great Bible (Cranmer), Geneva, Rheims, and King James (Authorised). The English Hexapla also includes the Greek text as collated by biblical scholar Johann Martin Augustin Scholz (1794– 1582) in the 1830s.

[case 3: The Bishop’s Bible—forerunner to KJV][facs] Matthew Parker’s manuscript list of the bishops working on the

Bishops’ Bible, ca. 1568 Digital reproduction courtesy of The National Archives, London Archbishop Matthew Parker (1504–1575) prepared this list of bishops working on the Bishops’ Bible. For the most part, abbreviations for each Bishop and his diocese are placed to the right of a list of the sections of the Bible he was translating. For example, “M. Cant.” is short for “Matthew Parker, Bishop of Canterbury,” who was to translate the tables, arguments, and prefaces of the Bible, as well as Genesis and Exodus, and much of the New Testament. [facs]A letter from Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, to William Cecil, Lord Burghley Lambeth, September 12, 1568 Digital reproduction courtesy of The National Archives, London In this letter, Archbishop Matthew Parker writes to William Cecil, Lord Burghley (1521–1598), Queen Elizabeth’s chief advisor. Too sick to travel, he asks Cecil to present a specially bound copy of the newly printed Bishops’ Bible to the Queen (1533–1603). The presentation copy to which Parker refers is likely the copy you see bound in velvet in this case. [174 LOAN] The holie Bible (London: Richarde Jugge, printer to the Queenes Majestie, 1568) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. Decorative details on this ornate copy of the Bishops’ Bible suggest it was presented to Queen Elizabeth I by Archbishop Matthew Parker. The Bible is bound in velvet, a particular favorite of the queen. Four round raised silver bosses on each cover of the book are engraved with the Tudor rose. The silver center plates are engraved with Elizabeth’s royal arms flanked by “EL” and “RE” for “Elizabetha Regina” (“Queen Elizabeth”). Inside the book are hand-colored portraits of the queen’s privy councilor Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, and the queen’s chief advisor and secretary of state, William Cecil, Lord Burghley.

[138] Hugh Broughton’s An epistle to the learned nobilitie of England (Middleburgh: Richard Schilders, 1597) Hugh Broughton (1549–1612) was as famous for his intellect, particularly as a Hebrew scholar, as he was infamous for his cantankerous personality. In this book, he argues for a new translation of the Bible, given the inadequacy of the Bishops’ Bible, and claims to have the support of Queen Elizabeth. Although he wanted a new translation, when the King James Bible was finally published, Broughton wrote another tract strongly criticizing it. [CASE 4—Hampton Court, King James, and the Origin of the KJV translation ] [need plan for this case when Eliz’s bible leaves] [Loan 176] The answere of the vicechancelour, the doctors, both the proctors, and other, the heads of houses in the Universitie of Oxford (Oxford: Printed by Joseph Barnes, 1603) Loan courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library This “Humble Petition” became known the “Millenary Petition” because Puritan leaders claimed to have acquired 1,000 signatures of support. Puritans were urging for the further reform of “certaine Ceremonies and abuses of the Church,” that they felt remained from England’s Catholic past. [175- loan] William Barlow’s The summe and substance of the conference (London: Printed by John Windet and T. Creede for Mathew Law, 1604) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. This is one of the only surviving documents detailing the Hampton Court Conference. According to William Barlow (d. 1613), Dean of Chester and later Bishop of Rochester and Lincoln, John Rainolds (1549–1607) reportedly “moved his majesty that there might be a new translation of the Bible, because those that were allowed in the reigns

of Henry the eight, and Edward the sixth, were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the Original.” King James approved Barlow’s draft before publication, but it was quickly criticized as being biased toward the king and bishops. [139] James I, King of England’s The workes of the most high and mightie prince, James by the grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c (London: Printed by Robert Barker and John Bill, 1616) King James I (1566–1625) was a learned man who wrote original works and translations, including poetry, a tract on witchcraft, and metrical translations of the psalms. He did not, however, participate in the King James Bible translation. The works included in this edition cover a broad range of topics including “daemonologie,” tobacco smoking, and a meditation on the biblical King David.

[151—add after we remove a loan] James I, King of England’s The Psalmes of King David translated by King Iames Cum privilegio Regiæ Maiestatis (Oxford: William Turner, 1631) Though King James did not actively translate any portion of the King James Bible, he was interested in the larger project of biblical translation, as this metrical translation of the Psalms suggests. James’s son, Charles, encouraged the publication of the Psalms after his father’s death. Charles hoped that churches would unanimously favor and adopt James’s Psalms, but many were critical and rejected the translation.

ON HAMPTON COURT WALL (CHASE WALL) Proclamacion, ordeyned by the Kynges majestie, with the advice of his honorable counsayle for the Byble of the largest and greatest volume, to be had in every churche (London: Printed by Richard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch, 1541)

Digital reproduction courtesy of The New York Public Library This broadside proclamation invokes an earlier injunction that all parish churches provide “Bybles containing the olde and newe Testament, in the Englyshe tounge.” It commands curates and inhabitants of parishes currently without the English Bible to “buy and provide Bybles of the largest and greatest volume” or forfeit 40 shillings every month. Furthermore, the proclamation instructs booksellers not to sell the Bible unbound for more than ten shillings, or bound for more than twelve shillings. [FACS] Antonis Van der Wyngaerde. View of Hampton Court Palace, 1588 Digital reproduction courtesy Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. The Hampton Court Conference is named for James’s royal palace where the conference took place. A section of Hampton Court Palace dates back to its 1514 construction by Cardinal Wolsey, who later gave the palace to Henry VIII. Used off and on by English royalty through the eighteenth century, the palace is located fifteen miles southwest of London on the Thames. [195]

[Coronation of King James I at Westminster Abbey], Germany 1603 This etching of the coronation of James I features various scenes including an outdoor procession, the entrance to Westminster Abbey, the coronation inside Westminster Abbey, trumpeters and drummers, men firing muskets, and ships with firing cannons.

The Road to Hampton Court Interactive Timeline

In a sense, the translation project that produced the King James Bible began on a January day in 1604 at the royal palace of Hampton Court. Midway through a three-day conference, the scholar and clergyman John Rainolds asked the king to approve the production of a new English translation of the entire Bible. He agreed—and the result is known today as the King James Bible. The deeper origins of the King James Bible, however, go back centuries earlier. This timeline explores some of the key elements that led to that moment at Hampton Court, from Old English poems based on the Bible to the wide range of previous English Bibles— some translated under conditions of great danger, others with the approval of the church and crown. Those earlier Bible translations not only led the way to the King James Bible, they also contributed to it. Following specific instructions, the King James Bible translators drew freely from many of the English Bibles shown here, as the translators readily acknowledged. The literary masterpiece that they created includes countless lines and phrases from the diverse translations of the past.

[adjacent to video screen] The Crown and the Bible As the English crown passed to rulers of different faiths, how did the kings and queens from Henry VIII to James I shape the history of Bible translation? What was it like for ordinary English people as each monarch set his or her own stamp on the country’s religion? Curators of the Manifold Greatness exhibitions at the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Bodleian Library at Oxford, as well as other specialists, consider these and other questions in The Crown and the Bible. [adjacent to video screen] Reconstructing the Process

How did the King James Bible translators go about their challenging task in the years from 1604, when King James agreed to a new English Bible, to 1611, when the King James Bible was first printed? What do we know about the day-to-day work of translation, and what special insights does it offer us into the translators’ world? Curators of the Manifold Greatness exhibitions at the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Bodleian Library at Oxford discuss these and other questions in Reconstructing the Process.

Case 5

Translating the King James Bible Following the Hampton Court Conference, King James I charged six companies of translators to work on sections of the new Bible translation: two companies each from Cambridge, Oxford, and Westminster. The translators, primarily clergymen, were among the most learned religious scholars in England. As a base text, each translator was given a copy of the 1602 edition of the Bishops’ Bible, with permission to consult earlier translations such as the Tyndale and the Geneva Bible. Evidence shows that they also used the Catholic Rheims New Testament and Bibles in different languages. Of all the source texts, Tyndale’s translations were the most influential. The translators took more than six years to complete their work, painstakingly discussing the translation word-by-word. [facsimile] [The Rules for the Translators] (British Library MS Harley 750 fol. 1v) Facsimile courtesy of British Library Board “The Rules to be observed in Translation” are listed in this manuscript. Rule number one establishes the Bishops’ Bible as the foundation for the translation, both because it was the Bible read in churches and because James I disliked the Geneva Bible for its antiestablishment annotations. Such notes were forbidden in the new

translation. [183] The Holy Bible: conteyning the Old Testament and the Newe. Authorised and appoynted to be read in churches (Imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, 1602.) King James translators were given an unbound 1602 edition of the Bishops’ Bible as a base text. The Bishop’s Bible translators had used the Great Bible as the basis for their translation, but had also taken some non-canonical material including maps, woodcuts, and annotations from the more popular Geneva Bible. Though the Bishop’s Bible was the official starting text of the King James translators, only about four percent of the King James translation comes directly from content original to the Bishops’ Bible (as opposed to earlier English translations).

[facsimile] The holie Bible conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe (London, 1602) [Bodleian Bib. Eng. 1602 b.1] Digital facsimile courtesy of The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford Only one of copy of a translator’s unbound 1602 Bishops’ Bible survives. This volume may in fact be a compilation of sections from several copies annotated with manuscript additions and deletions by the translators. [140] John Selden’s Table-talk (London: Printed for E. Smith, 1689) John Selden’s Table-talk is a record of the linguist and historian's conversations compiled in the 1640s and published posthumously. Selden (1584–1654) was a friend of one of the Westminster Company translators, and he describes King James Bible translators participating in a process through which one read aloud passages from his own translation while others read the same passage in

“French, Spanish, Italian, etc.” and identified any faults with the new version. Commenting on English translations of the Bible he declares them “the best Translation in the World.”

[Case 6]

Printing the King James Bible The first edition of the King James Bible is a grand folio book printed in double columns of large black letter type, a style inherited from previous English translations such as the Bishops’ Bible. Popular tradition celebrates May 2, 1611 as the publication date of the King James Bible, but there is no evidence to support this claim. Instead, scholars have suggested that the printing was completed sometime between March 1611 and February 1612. Although the King James Bible is now celebrated as one of the greatest works in the English language, at the time of its printing one of the only responses to it was Hugh Broughton’s famous condemnation of the translation.

[180 (she bible)] The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1611) The first issue of the first edition of the 1611 King James Bible is referred to as the “He Bible” because Ruth 3:15 reads “He went to the city.” The second issue changes the text to “She went to the city” and is thus referred to as the “She Bible.” Confusion remains about whether the line was intended to reference Ruth or Boaz. Most modern editions interpret the line as referring to Ruth and are thus “She” Bibles.

[177 LOAN] Hugh Broughton’s A censure of the late translation for our churches (Middleburgh: Richard Schilders, 1611) Loan courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. There is surprisingly little written reaction to the publication of the King James Bible, save this scathing pamphlet. Hugh Broughton (1549–1612) does not mince words as he details what he believes are ten egregious errors in the new translation. Finding the translation “so ill done,” he writes, “Tell his Majest[ie] that I had rather be rent in pieces with wilde horses, then any such translation by my consent should bee urged upon poore Churches.” He also declares, “I require it be burnt.” ACROSS REAR WALL OF GALLERY: [adjacent to video screen] Printing the Book Printing the King James Bible was a major assignment—and an expensive one—for the king’s printer, Robert Barker. How did Barker tackle the job? What was it like to work in a printshop in 1611? How were books printed in the early 1600s, and how were errors caught or missed? Steven Galbraith, co-curator of the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Manifold Greatness exhibition, explores these and other questions in Printing the Book. This video includes some famous printing errors in early King James Bible editions, including the accidental substitution of Judas for Jesus.

[adjacent to video screen] One Book, Many Forms

What can we learn from the different sizes and formats in which the King James Bible soon appeared, the distinctive bindings of individual copies, and the family records and other notes written in by the Bible’s readers and owners? In One Book, Many Forms, the curators of the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Manifold Greatness exhibition explore these and other aspects of the physical form of the King James Bible—including the growing popularity of illustrated editions over the centuries and the role of the King James Bible in today’s digital media. [guide to TP] [218a] Title page from The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1611) Enlarged digital reproduction [218b] New Testament Title Page from The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1611) Enlarged digital reproduction [218c] The first page of the genealogy from The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1611) Enlarged digital reproduction Historian John Speed (1542–1629) worked with Hebrew scholar Hugh Broughton to create this 36-page genealogy. The genealogy traced, “euery family and tribe with the line of Our Sauior Jesus Christ obserued from Adam to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

[218c] The second page of the genealogy from The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1611) Enlarged digital reproduction This page of Speed’s genealogy adopted the then-popular view that Noah’s sons went on to populate specific regions of the world: Shem to Asia, Japheth to Europe, and Ham to Africa. In Great Britain and the Americas, pro-slavery advocates used the “curse of Ham” to justify the enslavement of Africans and their descendents.

Case 7: Misprints and Misfortunes The King James Bible was printed by Robert Barker, the king’s printer, who had inherited the position of royal printer from his father Christopher. In this role, he printed official government documents and also held the royal privilege for printing English Bibles. The King James Bible was an expensive venture for Barker. Financial troubles compelled him to take on investors, leading to legal battles over his royal privilege. Money was not Barker’s only trouble. His early editions of the King James Bible are known for a few egregious typos, such as mistaking “Judas” for “Jesus” and the misprint “Thou shalt commit adultery” in the so-called “Wicked Bible” of 1631. [143] The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1613) The so-called Judas Bible of 1613 contains a major typographical error in Chapter 6 of Matthew. Rather than setting the name “Jesus,” the compositor set the name “Judas,” the disciple who betrayed Jesus. To fix the error, the stationers printed “Jesus” on small cancel slips and

pasted them over “Judas.”

[142] The Holy Bible: contaning ye: Old and New Testaments / newly translated out of ye: original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised (London: Iohn Field, 1653.) In the “unrighteous bible,” I Corinthians 6:9 reads “Know ye that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?” It should read, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?”

[217 facs of unrighteous bible detail] The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: newly translated out of the originall tongues (London: Robert Barker, 1631) [Bodleian Bib. Eng. 1631 f.1] Digital reproduction courtesy of the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford The most infamous typo in the history of the King James Bible may be found in the “Wicked Bible” of 1631. The misprint “Thou shalt commit adultery” was so scandalous that it even came to the attention of King Charles I, who had succeeded James I in 1625. The printers, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, were severely fined. Most copies of the “Wicked Bible” were recalled and destroyed, thus very few survive. Barker and his associate Martin Lucas were fined a total of £300 “For many grosse errors and foule faults comitted in the printing of the holy Bible.” Charles I remitted the fine, however, when the two printers agreed to set up “a Greek printing press,” i.e., acquire Greek type and print translations being prepared by a scholar named Patrick Young, who worked as the king’s librarian.

Case 8 A Variety of Forms for a Variety of Readers The first editions of the King James Bible were large and expensive pulpit Bibles designed for use in churches, but printers soon produced Bibles in multiple sizes and formats. This physical variety reflects the Bible’s variety of purposes and readers. The largest Bibles sat on church lecterns for reading during worship services. Affordable copies made small enough to fit in one’s pocket were intended for personal use. Medium-sized versions were perfect for private study or reading with the family. Tiny editions suited the traveler or even the soldier in the field. Small Bibles with elaborate decorative bindings became devotional fashion accessories for those who could afford them. [185] The Holy Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, ca. 1942) The Bible has played an important role for service men and women. Some relied on its text for strength in trying circumstances; others reported that their Bibles literally stopped bullets and saved their lives. This British Bible includes a “Soldier’s Prayer.” Its owner was a member of the 3rd The King’s Own Hussars, a British Army cavalry regiment dating back to 1685.

[181 & 182] Readings from the Holy Scriptures, Prepared for Use of Jewish Personnel of the Army of the United States (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1942) Readings from the Holy Scriptures, for Jewish Soldiers and Sailors (New York: Jewish Welfare Board, 1942) Both of these small editions for wartime feature the Jewish Publication Society, or JPS translation of the Tanakh. The JPS translation first appeared in 1917, and its translators consulted the late nineteenth century revision of the King James Bible.

[186] The Bible in Symbols (Naperville, IL: J. L. Nichols & Company, 1906) This book used pictures to help engage young people in the text of the King James translation. The tradition of American picture bibles dates back to A Curious Hieroglyphic Bible, of, Select passages in the Old and New Testaments (1788), printed by Isaiah Thomas.

[187] Wilbur Owen Sypherd’s The Book of Books (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1944) This edition promised to make the King James translation accessible to younger readers. In addition to including biblical stories traditionally targeted at a younger audience, those of Joseph, Samson, and David, Sypherd included material from the prophets, the Psalms, and the Book of Revelation. [5] [6] Holy  Bible:  contains  224  pages  of  the  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  Jesus   Christ  (place,  publisher,  and  date  of  publication  unknown)     The  Bible  has  long  been  a  popular  text  among  publishers  of  miniature   books,  making  “miniature  bibles”  a  genre  of  its  own.  The  224  pages   of  this  book  comprise  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew,  up  to  the   very  first  pages  of  The  Gospel  according  to  St.  John.  Probably  the   constraints  imposed  by  diminutive  size  and  binding  method  (a   simple  staple)  prohibited  the  publication  of  a  complete  text.  The  book   is  virtually  impossible  to  read  without  the  aid  of  magnification.      

6  RH     The  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  (Oxford:  The   University  Press,  date  unknown)     Commonly  called  the  “Finger  New  Testament,”  this  book  measures   approximately  3  1/2  inches  by  1  inch.  While  portability  of  important   texts  is  a  legitimate  concern,  the  chief  concern  of  this  book’s  publisher   was  likely  the  novelty  of  the  format,  as  the  book  is  rather  difficult  to   read  in  any  practical  manner.  

[40] The  Holy  Bible:  King  James  Version,  1611  (Maitland,  Florida:  Braille   Bible  Foundation,  not  dated)     Even  when  embossed  on  both  sides  of  the  page  in  contracted  English   Braille,  the  King  James  Version  of  the  Bible  occupies  18  Braille   volumes,  requiring  60  inches  of  shelf  space  to  store.  Volume  16,   shown  here,  contains  the  books  of  Luke  and  John.    

[Case 9] Used KJVs

[56] The Holy Bible: For the Use of Families (London: Printed for Robert Scholey et al, 1809) This family Bible comes from the library of Evelyn Waugh. Waugh’s maternal grandfather, Henry Charles Biddulph Cotton Raban, recorded his marriage and the birth of his children in it. Waugh was

raised in the Church of England, but converted to Catholicism in 1930.

[57] The Holy Bible (London: Printed by G. Eyre and A. Strahan for the British and Foreign Bible Society, 1825) This Bible, from James Joyce’s library at Trieste contains no annotations. Though raised a Catholic, Joyce’s work reveals an extensive familiarity with the King James translation. Before writing his early, unpublished novel Stephen Hero, Joyce (1882–1941) copied the Book of Revelation from the King James Bible into one of his notebooks. Ulysses (1922) shows the influence of a variety of religious texts including the Catholic liturgy, the Douay translation, and the King James.

[59] & [204] The Holy Bible (London: G.E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode for the British and Foreign Bible Society, 1866) Interior page of Mark Twain’s Bible Digital reproduction Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain (1835–1910) carried this Bible with him on the ship Quaker City as he wrote The Innocents Abroad. Twain’s manuscript notes written in the Bible include comments on the gospels and an admonition to return the book to him if “borrowed.” Throughout his life, Twain took the Bible and Christianity to task as he did in The Diaries of Adam and Eve, an Extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven, and Letters from The Earth.

[58]

The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims’ Progress (Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company, 1869) The Innocents Abroad was Twain’s account of his journey to Europe and the Holy Land. Twain struggled to come to terms with the disjunction between his conception of Holy Land geography and the reality of biblical history as he traveled through the areas described in the Bible.

[60] Paul Schrader’s hand-copied Bible (ca. 1953) Of his motivation for transcribing the Bible, writer and director Paul Schrader (b. 1946) explained, “The Bible thing was all my own idea. I wanted my own copy of the Bible. I wanted to own it.” Schrader was raised in the Christian Reformed Church. In a 2000 interview, Schrader noted that his religious upbringing “never goes away” and that spirituality consistently found its way into his films. Schrader wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for the films Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Bringing Out the Dead (1999).

[this concludes the core section of the exhibition; from here you can branch out in either direction—to the Bible and Book Arts or Cultural Influence]

[THE BIBLE AND BOOK ARTS SECTION] 2  RH     Ruth  et  Booz  (Paris:  F.-­‐‑L.  Schmied,  1930)  

François-­‐‑Louis  Schmied  (1873–1941)  is  the  unequivocal  master  of  the   Art  Deco  book.  He  is  perhaps  best  known  for  his  rich,  colorful  wood   engravings,  the  printing  of  which  sometimes  required  roughly  1,000   woodblocks  per  book.  Shown  here  are  Schmied’s  illustrations  for   Ruth  and  Booz  (Boaz)  as  well  as  Booz’s  fields  in  which  Ruth  gleaned.     3  RH     Song  of  Songs  which  is  Solomon’s  (Chelsea:  Ashendene  Press,  1902)   Contemporary  with  Kelmscott  and  Doves,  and  with  them  completing   “the  triple  crown”  of  the  English  fine  press  movement,  is  C.  H.  St.   John  Hornby’s  (1867–1946)  Ashendene  Press.  Song  of  Songs  was   published  in  an  edition  of  only  40  copies,  all  printed  on  vellum,  and   each  uniquely  illuminated  by  Florence  Kingsford.  Shown  is  Hornby’s   personal  copy.    

   

11  RH     Psalmi  Penitentiales  (Hammersmith:  Kelmscott  Press,  1894)   Kelmscott  Press  is  arguably  the  most  famous  of  the  private  presses,   and  its  proprietor,  William  Morris  (1834–1896)  was  a  driving  force  of   the  Arts  and  Crafts  movement.  Morris  sourced  the  text  of  this  book   from  a  manuscript  of  the  Seven  Penitential  Psalms  in  his  personal   library  of  medieval  manuscripts  and  early  printed  books,  to  which  he   often  turned  for  design  inspiration.  The  work  consists  of  seven   psalms  (6,  31,  37,  50,  101,  129,  and  142)  that  are  traditionally  read   during  Lent.    

 16  and  19  RH     The  Holy  Bible,  Reprinted  According  to  the  Authorised  Version  1611   (London:  Nonesuch  Press;  New  York:  the  Dial  Press,  1925–1927)   Genesis:  Twelve  Woodcuts  by  Paul  Nash  with  the  First  Chapter  of  Genesis   in  the  Authorized  Version  (Soho:  Nonesuch  Press,  1924)     In  London,  rising  alongside  Golden  Cockerel  Press,  was  Nonesuch   Press,  founded  by  Francis  Meynell,  his  wife,  Vera,  and  David   Garnett.  Nonesuch  drew  inspiration  from  its  contemporaries  but   deviated  in  its  methodology,  most  often  outsourcing  the  printing  to   other  presses,  while  maintaining  meticulous  control  over  the  design   elements.  From1925  to  1927  Nonesuch  published  the  magnificent   five-­‐‑volume  Holy  Bible  Reprinted  According  to  the  Authorized  Version  of   1611,  with  line  engravings  by  Stephen  Gooden,  printed  by  Frederick   Hall  at  the  Oxford  University  Press.  The  Meynells,  both  atheists,   preferred  the  titles  The  Bible,  or  The  English  Bible,  but  Garnett  insisted   upon  The  Holy  Bible.     Just  prior  to  The  Holy  Bible,  Nonesuch  had  published  Genesis:  Twelve   Woodcuts  by  Paul  Nash,  printed  by  Curwen  Press,  which  pairs  the  text   of  Genesis  with  Nash’s  abstract  images.  While  each  book  is  successful   in  its  own  right,  the  two  could  not  be  more  different.  Nash’s  bold   woodcuts,  accompanied  by  Rudolf  Koch’s  rugged  and  subtly  exotic   Neuland  type,  are  a  far  cry  from  the  refined  typography  and  intricate   line  engravings  of  the  later  work.     17-­‐‑18-­‐‑19  intro  RH    

François-­‐‑Louis  Schmied  (1873–1941)  is  the  unequivocal  master  of  the   Art  Deco  book.  He  is  perhaps  best  known  for  his  rich,  colorful  wood   engravings,  the  printing  of  which  sometimes  required  roughly  1,000   woodblocks  per  book.  The  process  of  creating  relief  prints  of  multiple   colors  is  difficult,  as  each  color  necessitates  a  separate  block  and  thus   a  separate  pass  through  the  press.  This  requires  great  precision,  as   the  printer  must  align  the  paper  and  the  blocks  exactly  right  for  each   impression.  In  the  works  shown  here,  Schmied  celebrates  the  sacred   word  through  bold,  modern  imagery,  innovative  typography,  and   flawless  printing.      17  RH   Le  Livre  des  Rois:  l’Avènement  de  Solomon  (Lausanne:  Gonin,  1930)      18  RH   La  Création:  les  Trois  Premiers  Livres  de  la  Genèse  Suivis  de  la  Généalogie   Adamique  (Paris:  F.-­‐‑L.  Schmied,  1928)       21  RH   Le  Cantique  des  Cantiques  (Paris  :  F.-­‐‑L.  Schmied,  1925)         24  RH   The  Book  of  Job:  According  to  the  Authorized  Version  of  MDCXI,  Following   the  Arrangement  of  the  Temple  Bible  (San  Francisco:  Grabhorn  Press,   1926)  

Edwin  and  Robert  Grabhorn  produced  some  of  the  earliest  and  best   of  California’s  fine  printing.  Their  Book  of  Job  features  a  striking   woodcut  frontispiece  by  Valenti  Angelo  with  whom  the  Grabhorns   collaborated  for  several  of  their  publications.  This  copy  is  number  181   from  an  edition  of  210  copies.       31  (Szyk  Vitrine)  RH     The  Haggadah  (London:  Beaconsfield  Press,  1939)   Drawing  on  the  history  of  illuminated  Haggadot,  which  originated   with  Jews  during  the  Middle  Ages,  Arthur  Szyk  (1894–1951)   designed  and  illustrated  his  elaborate  presentation  of  the  Haggadah  in   the  period  1932–1938.  Current  world  events  are  reflected  in  the   illustrations,  which  draw  parallels  between  the  policies  of  Nazi   Germany  and  the  genocidal  actions  of  the  Pharaoh  of  Exodus.  Given   the  political  overtones  of  Szyk’s  work,  it  was  not  easy  for  him  to  find   a  publisher,  and  his  eventual  publisher  required  that  he  censor  some   of  his  work’s  more  overt  allusions  to  Nazi  Germany.  Omitted  from   the  publication  were  images  of  Göring-­‐‑  and  Goebbels-­‐‑headed  snakes   and  slave  drivers  wearing  swastika  armbands.  The  resulting  book,   printed  entirely  on  vellum,  is  a  unique  amalgamation  of  illuminated   manuscript  and  modern  fine  printing  traditions,  placing   reproductions  of  Szyk’s  original  watercolor  and  gouache  miniatures   alongside  letterpress  Hebrew  and  English  text.   ro4  BigBibles     Two  volumes  (showing  engraved  and  printed  title  pages)  of  the  Biblia   Sacra  Hebraice,  Chaldaice,  Graece,  &  Latine  [Polyglot  Bible]  (Antwerp:  

Christopher  Plantin,  1569–1573).  Purchased  with  gifts  from  Margaret   Hight,  Lucy  Ross,  and  the  Center’s  Carl  H.  Pforzheimer  Endowment.     Plantin’s  Polyglot  Bible  is  considered  the  most  important   typographical  enterprise  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  printer  had  to   obtain  permission  from  Philip  II,  the  Holy  Roman  Emperor,  which   was  a  delicate  matter  in  the  midst  of  the  Reformation.  The  editor  was   Benito  Arias  Montano,  one  of  the  foremost  Biblical  scholars  of  the   day,  who  often  worked  11  hours  a  day  on  the  project.  Plantin  then   had  to  create  a  brilliantly  functional  typographical  design  to   incorporate  the  five  languages.  1,213  copies  were  printed  on  paper   and  vellum  but  many  have  since  disappeared.      ro8     Early  Bibles       Biblia  latina.  (Venice:  Nicolas  Jenson,  1476).  Bookplates  of  the  Sixth   Duke  of  Devonshire  and  the  Chicago  collector  Louis  H.  Silver.     Jenson  was  a  French  printer  who  emigrated  to  Italy  and  was   responsible  for  some  of  the  most  beautiful  classical  types  ever   created.  These  were  most  likely  modeled  on  Roman  monuments  he   found  near  Venice.  This  two-­‐‑volume  gilt  and  illuminated  Bible  is   superbly  printed  on  vellum  (scraped  calfskin)  and  was  produced  at   the  very  end  of  Jenson’s  life.     ro12/37    

Gill  4  Gospels    

Paper  and  vellum  copies  of  The  Four  Gospels  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.   (Waltham  Saint  Lawrence,  England:  Golden  Cockerel  Press,  1931).  

    Eric  Gill  was  an  English  illustrator,  designer,  and  typographer  (not  to   mention  a  Socialist  reformer  and  philosopher)  originally  trained  as  a   sculptor.  Gill  was  also  a  devout  but  highly  unconventional  Catholic   who  believed  that  eroticism  was  the  expression  of  an  essentially   religious  impulse.     The  Golden  Cockerel  Press,  prominent  in  the  1920s  and  30s,  was   closely  associated  with  Gill  and  other  important  British  wood   engravers.  His  masterpiece,  The  Four  Gospels,  is  in  every  sense  a   celebration  of  the  physicality  of  life.  Christ  as  he  is  depicted  in  Gill’s   theatrical  initial  letters  is  very  much  The  Word  made  flesh:  he  is   intensely  human  in  his  emaciation  and  raw  suffering.     This  is  a  rare  opportunity  to  examine  side-­‐‑by-­‐‑side  a  copy  printed  on   paper  and  one  of  the  handful  of  copies  (12)  printed  on  vellum   (scraped  calfskin).   The  Center  owns  an  extensive  collection  of  Gill’s  work,  including   multiple  proofs  and  many  original  pear  wood  engraved  blocks.       ro20     Early  Bibles     Tanakh.  (Amsterdam:  Emmanuel  Atias,  1700–1703).  From  the  John   Henry  Wrenn  Library.   The  Tanakh  is  the  canonical  Hebrew  Bible,  composed  of  the  Torah,   Nevi'ʹim,  and  Ketuvim.  This  one  is  bound  in  sterling  silver.     ro7     Early  Bibles     An  English  thirteenth-­‐‑century  manuscript  Bible  in  Latin    

Note  the  initial  letter  that  runs  down  the  entire  page.  Edward   Johnston  sought  this  same  effect  in  the  Doves  Press  Bible.     ro42  Fine  Press   Edward  Johnston’s  sketchbook,  ca.  1900   Johnston  was  the  most  important  calligrapher  of  the  twentieth   century.  He  advocated  the  use  of  the  broad-­‐‑edged  pen  in  his   teachings  and  writings  and  influenced  Eric  Gill,  among  many  other   disciples.  His  influence  may  still  be  seen  today  in  the  typography  of   the  London  Underground.   Still  a  young  and  unknown  artist,  Johnston  undertook  a  detailed   study  of  medieval  illuminated  manuscripts  in  the  British  Library,  the   results  of  which  may  be  seen  in  this  sketchbook.     ro32     Fine  Presses     A  letter  from  Edward  Johnston  to  T.  J.  Cobden  Sanderson,  July  1,   1902.   The  calligrapher  expresses  his  pleasure  with  the  execution  of  the   initial  I  in  the  Doves  Press  Bible.     ro22     Fine  Presses       Bible.  (Hammersmith,  England:  Doves  Press,  1903)   The  Jenson  Roman  types  served  as  inspirations  for  the  founders  of   the  Doves  Press  around  1900.  Its  founders,  the  bookbinder  T.  J.   Cobden-­‐‑Sanderson  and  the  engraver  Emery  Walker  had  both  been  

closely  associated  with  the  Kelmscott  Press  of  William  Morris.  While   Morris’s  notion  of  the  book  as  a  handmade,  organic  totality  lay   behind  the  Doves  Press  enterprise,  the  Doves  rejected  Morris’s  ornate   style  in  favor  of  an  uncompromisingly  austere  modernism.  In  the   Doves  Press  Bible,  published  in  five  volumes  between  1903  and  1905,   we  see  foreshadowed  the  eventual  triumph  of  minimalism  in  later   twentieth-­‐‑century  book  design.     There  is,  however,  one  very  striking  exception  to  the  austerity:  the   coup  de  théâtre  of  the  initial  I  in  red  used  for  the  opening  of  Genesis:   “In  the  Beginning….”  This  initial,  which  runs  down  the  entire  margin   of  the  page,  was  designed  and  executed  by  the  calligrapher  Edward   Johnston.       ro23     Big  Bibles       The  Holy  Bible  (Birmingham:  John  Baskerville,  1763)   Baskerville  was  a  typographic  reformer  who  thought  that  most  of  the   books  of  his  century  looked  fussy  and  cluttered.  He  produced  his   own  inks  and  designed  his  own  type,  Baskerville,  still  in  use  today.   His  massive  Bible  featured  an  openness  and  clarity  that  would   influence  other  designers  for  decades  to  come.     ro25     Early  Bibles       Torah  (Antwerp:  Plantin,  1574).  Bookplate  of  Sir  Compton  Mackenzie   and  others.  

The  firm  of  Plantin  represented  the  highest  in  printing  standards  and   also  stood  for  the  highest  in  Biblical  and  classical  scholarship.  This   Torah  was  among  its  smaller  productions.     ro27     Big  Bibles     The  Holy  Bible,  Containing  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  [Oxford  Lectern   Bible]  (Oxford:  Oxford  University  Press,  1935)     Bruce  Rogers,  who  worked  for  the  Riverside  Press  in  Boston  and   designed  many  of  the  most  important  books  of  the  century,   deservedly  shares  a  case  with  John  Baskerville.  The  librarian  at   Windsor  Castle  sought  a  Bible  that  would  make  a  present  from  King   George  V  to  the  Memorial  Church  at  Ypres.  It  was  decided  that  a  new   commission  was  in  order,  and  for  this  purpose  Rogers  used  his   Centaur  type,  compacting  the  large  22-­‐‑point  size  in  two  columns  and   printing  on  Batchelor  handmade  paper.  The  result  was  easily  one  of   the  handsomest  large-­‐‑format  Bibles  ever  made.          ro28    Wall       Jacob  Lawrence’s  Eight  Passages:  Illustrations  for  The  First  Book  of   Moses,  called  Genesis  (New  York:  Limited  Editions  Club,  1989)     Jacob  Lawrence  (1917–2000)  received  his  early  education  as  an  artist   in  Harlem  and  by  the  time  he  was  in  his  twenties  had  received   national  recognition  for  his  work,  notably  “The  Migration  Series,”   about  the  Negro  migration  from  the  South  to  the  North  following  the   First  World  War.  Lawrence  spent  most  of  the  rest  of  his  life  in  the   Pacific  Northwest  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  generally   recognized  as  one  of  the  most  important  African-­‐‑American  artists.  

All  eight  of  Lawrence’s  huge  silkscreen  prints  for  Genesis  (an  artist’s   book  produced  by  the  Limited  Editions  Club)  are  displayed  in   sequence.  They  show  the  artist’s  strongly  colorful  and  mildly  abstract   style  at  its  best.  The  words  of  the  preacher  invoke  the  simplicity  and   force  of  the  King  James  Version,  although  they  are  somewhat   different.     ro35/30  (block)     Gill  4  Gospels     Eric  Gill.  Proof  (with  pear  woodblock)  of  an  Initial  Letter  (Peter  and   the  Cock)  from  The  Four  Gospels,  1931.   Gill’s  initial  is  chock  full  of  high  drama:  Peter,  denying  that  he  had   been  in  the  company  of  Jesus,  turns  away  from  the  crowing  cock,   while  the  high  priest’s  maidservant  says  that  he  is  lying.     ro36/30  (block)     Gill  4  Gospels     Eric  Gill.  Proof  (with  pear  woodblock)  of  an  Initial  Letter  (The   Woman  Taken  in  Adultery)  from  The  Four  Gospels,  1931.   This  initial  illustrates  the  passage  from  the  Gospel  of  John:  “But  Jesus   stooped  down,  and  with  his  finger  wrote  on  the  ground,  as  though  he   heard  them  not.  So  when  they  continued  asking  him,  he  lifted  up   himself,  and  said  unto  them,  He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let   him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her.”     ro43     Wall       Eric  Gill  and  Denis  Tegetmeier.  Incised  wood  panel  crucifix,  ca.  1940.  

Tegetmeier  was  not  only  a  devoted  disciple  of  Gill’s  but  was  also   married  to  his  daughter  Petra.  He  assisted  his  teacher  with  the   execution  of  this  wall  crucifix.  It  was  one  of  the  last  works  completed   before  Gill’s  death  from  lung  cancer.       ro44     Wall     Unknown  photographer,     Eric  Gill   Gelatin  silver  print,  ca.  1930s        ro**45    

Early  Bibles    

Biblia  latina.  Cum  postillis  Nicolai  de  Lyra.  (Venice:  Franciscus  Renner,   de  Heilbronn,  1482–1483).   Nicholas  de  Lyra  was  a  medieval  commentator  on  the  Bible.  These   pages  show  a  very  small  amount  of  biblical  text  surrounded  by  a   very  large  amount  of  marginal  commentary.  The  volume  is  from  the   Center’s  collection  of  incunabula,  or  printing  produced  before  the   year  1501.     ro48     Floor  item     Eric  Gill’s  preliminary  panel  for  the  Fifth  Station  of  the  Cross,   depicting  Christ  with  the  Roman  soldier  Simon  of  Cyrene.   Hoptonwood  stone  in  wooden  frame,  ca.  1914.     In  1913,  Gill  had  been  working  as  a  sculptor  for  only  three  years  and   was  anxious  to  receive  a  major  commission.  He  proposed  to   Westminster  Cathedral,  England,  to  sculpt  14  panels  representing  the   Stations  of  the  Cross  (Jesus’s  stopping  points  on  his  way  to  the  

Crucifixion)  for  the  very  low  price  of  £765  and  prepared  this  sample   panel,  the  Fifth  Station.  Despite  some  opposition  from  the   congregation,  Gill  received  the  commission  and  completed  the  series   (including  a  larger,  final  version  of  the  Fifth  Station)  by  Good  Friday   1918.  The  sculptor  himself  referred  proudly  to  his  “complete  and   genuine  ignorance  of  art-­‐‑school  anatomy  and  traditional  academic   style.”       ro49     Wall     School  of  Marinus  van  Reymerswaele     St.  Jerome  in  his  study,  sixteenth  century   Oil  on  canvas     In  this  depiction  of  St.  Jerome  (ca.  347–420)  at  work  on  his  translation   of  the  Bible  into  Latin,  the  iconography  indicates  that  the  translator   was  divinely  inspired.  Jerome’s  translation,  known  as  The  Vulgate,   was  used  throughout  the  Middle  Ages  and  is  the  text  of  the   Gutenberg  Bible.     41  RH   The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  (Gloucestershire:  Essex  House  Press,  1903)   When  the  Kelmscott  Press  closed  in  1898,  its  stock  (minus  the  type   and  illustration  blocks)  and  the  plant  were  purchased  by  C.  R.   Ashbee’s  (1863–1942)  Guild  of  Handicraft,  marking  the  propitious   beginning  of  the  Essex  House  Press.  Drawing  inspiration  from  Morris   and  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Movement,  the  aim  of  the  press  was  “to   produce  good  books  and  adorn  them  in  the  best  way  we  can.”  The   Book  of  Common  Prayer  is  among  the  finest  work  of  the  press  and  is  a   wonderful  example  of  an  Arts  and  Crafts  period  publication.  

 

   

133  RH     Marc  Chagall’s  Story  of  the  Exodus,  (Paris  and  New  York:  Leon  Amiel,   1966)   In  this  large  publication,  the  text  of  Exodus  is  paired  with  24  color   lithographs  by  Marc  Chagall  (1887–1985)  characterized  by  his   typically  expert  use  of  color  and  filled  with  the  lyrical,  dream-­‐‑like   scenes  for  which  the  artist  is  known.  Exodus  represents  a  major  strain   of  Chagall’s  work,  namely  Judaic  spirituality  and  Hasidism.  One  of   the  great  lithographers  of  modern  art,  Chagall  produced  more  than   1,000  original  lithographs  over  the  course  of  his  career.     221  RH   Deborah  Evetts’s  binding  for  Eric  Gill’s  The  Four  Gospels  of  the  Lord   Jesus  Christ  According  to  the  Authorized  Version  of  King  James  I   (Waltham  Saint  Lawrence,  Berkshire:  Golden  Cockerel  Press,  1931)   Internationally  recognized  designer  bookbinder  and  conservator   Deborah  Evetts  bound  this  copy  of  The  Four  Gospels  in  full  black   morocco,  with  textual  elements  onlaid  in  black  calf  and  with  gold   lettering.  The  top  edge  of  the  text  block  is  gilt  and  stamped  in  black   and  blind.     CULTURAL  INFLUENCE     [61] The Bible. Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languages. With most profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance,

as may appeare in the epistle to the reader. And also a most profitable concordance for the readie finding out of any thing in the same conteined (London: Deputies of Christopher Barker, 1588)   This Geneva Bible likely belonged to John Milton’s third wife, Elizabeth Minshull (1630–1727). For years after the publication of the King James translation, the Geneva Bible remained the more popular Protestant Bible in Britain. Milton (1608–1674) refers to both the King James and the Geneva Bible in Paradise Lost.

[62]

John Milton’s Paradise Lost (London: Peter Parker, 1667) The radical Protestant John Milton’s Paradise Lost is one of the most famous biblical adaptations in English. Essentially a prequel to the Book of Genesis, it is dense with allusive cross-references to biblical passages and often employs the specific language of the King James Bible. [63] John Milton’s Paradise Lost (London: Richard Bentley and Jacob Tonson, 1691) In 1674, Milton divided two of the longer books of the first edition of Paradise Lost. The resulting edition featured twelve books instead of the original ten. This fifth edition of Paradise Lost features the twelvebook organization.

[64] John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress From This World, to That Which is to Come, Part 1 (London: Printed for Nath. Ponder, 1681) Few writers have been as biblically obsessed as John Bunyan (1628–

1688). In his spiritual autobiography, he writes of being literally accosted, struck, and pursued by Bible verses wherever he went. His life, like his writings, was a biblical allegory. For centuries, Pilgrim’s Progress was the most popular book in English, apart from the Bible itself. It tells of Christian’s journey to the Heavenly City in a narrative filled with scriptural references, the majority drawn from the King James Bible. [65] “Plan of the Road from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City,” from John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress From This World, to That Which is to Come (London: Romsey, Hants, 1833) Enlarged digital reproduction Plans or maps like this one helped readers follow the protagonist Christian’s journey. This plan provides an effective plot summary as well, as it depicts major events of Christian’s voyage to the Celestial City.

[134] William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads with a Few other Poems (London: J. & A. Arch, 1798) Wordsworth’s contributions to Lyrical Ballads, particularly the poem “Tintern Abbey” reveal the influence of the language and rhythm of the King James translation.

[66] William Sharp’s engraving of Joanna Southcott, 1812 Respected engraver William Sharp (1749–1824) became a follower of Joanna Southcott (1750–1814). Sharp engraved this portrait, the most famous image of Southcott, in 1812. The engraving features scriptural references to prophecy and salvation in Isaiah 65 and 66.

[67] Joseph Prescott’s Celestial Treasure Chest, April 15, 1803 Joseph Prescott was a Southcottian who experienced visions. He felt unable to interpret them himself, so he painted the visions and then shared them with Southcott. Prescott’s paintings frequently featured quotations and references to the King James translation. This painting refers viewers to Daniel 5:5, “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”

[68] Joseph Prescott’s Under his Wings shalt thou Trust, March 4, 1803 This painting features an angel, possibly Joanna Southcott herself, with a phrase from Psalm 91:4, “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

[219] “The Royal Proclamation,” ca. December 1847 Digital reproduction from fragile original Even after Southcott’s death in 1814, followers continued to embrace her teachings. This scroll, from 1847, proclaims the crowning of Jesus as “KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords. . . in all the churches of the true Israel, In England!” References and paraphrases of the King James translation abound.

[70] Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (London: Printed for A. Bell, 1773) Phillis Wheatley’s book of poetry is filled with both classical and biblical allusions. Wheatley was the first African woman to publish a book of poetry in English and only the third published female poet in the United States. Poems on Various Subjects included extensive introductory materials attesting to the fact that Wheatley had written the poems herself. [208] Title page and frontispiece from Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (London: Printed for A. Bell, 1773) Enlarged digital reproduction This portrait of Phillis Wheatley is attributed to Scipio Moorhead who is also believed to be the inspiration for Wheatley’s poem, “To S. M. a young African Painter, on seeing his Works.” [72] The Holy Bible: containing the Olde Testament and the New. / Newly translated out of the original tongues: and with the former translations diligently compared and revised: by His Majesties speciall commandement (London: Robert Barker, 1638) Costly embroidered bindings frequently covered Bibles, prayer books, and other devotional works. This binding was produced in England at the height of their popularity and depicts the adoration of the Magi. The text of Matthew 2:11 is visible along the lower border. [73] 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 command

(London: Iohn Field, 1658) This small two-volume King James Bible features a Scottish herringbone binding. Herringbone was one of two unique binding styles created in Scotland and was frequently used on Bibles and prayer books. [74] The Bible and The Psalms of David in Metre (Edinburgh, 1791) Digital reproduction of interior page This King James Bible and the Psalms are bound together with red goatskin and decorated in a whimsical Scottish variation of English Rococo style, with gold tooling on the spine, the covers, and the edges of the boards. The design was created with small individual tools, emulating bindings made in Edinburgh by James and William Scott. [75] The Complete British Family Bible: being a new universal exposition and commentary on the Holy Scriptures (London: Alex. Hogg, 1782)   Digital reproduction of interior pages    

As printed English Bibles became widely available in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, families acquired copies for reading at home, either individually or aloud together. Some families might have owned only this one book, handing it down through generations. Because larger Bibles were usually printed with a number of blank pages at the beginning and end and between the Old and New Testaments, and because the Bible was a permanent fixture in the home, families began to use these pages to record births, marriages, and deaths.  

This Bible belonged to Simon and Mary Wise and includes notations of their marriage and the birth of their children. Over time, publishers recognized this practice and produced Bibles with preprinted genealogical forms. In the nineteenth century, more elaborate Bibles included special pages for mounting family photographs.

   

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The Holy Bible. : Containing the Old Testament, and the New (London: Printed for Scatcherd & Whitaker, 1790)   This small late-eighteenth century King James Bible offered its owner convenience and portability. It features a small illustration of Acts 10:43, “To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sin.”  

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The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, / translated out of the original Greek, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty’s special command. Appointed to be read in churches. (Cambridge: John Archdeacon, 1776)   Digital reproduction of interior page This Bible, printed in 1776, features the text of the 1743 revision completed at Cambridge by F. S. Parris. Parris altered noun forms (singular and plural) when the Greek originals mandated the changes, restored definite articles, and updated archaic words. [76] The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New: translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty’s special command. Appointed to be read in churches (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1792)    

This 1792 Bible features Benjamin Blayney’s 1769 translation completed at Oxford. Like Parris, Blayney updated archaic forms and made usage more consistent throughout the Bible. He also made more substantive changes throughout.    

One way to determine if a particular King James Bible features the Blayney revision is to read Exodus 23:13. If it reads “the name of other gods” as opposed to the “the names of other gods,” it is likely

the Blayney revision.   [71] Title page of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) Blake (1757–1827) had been experimenting with the Book of Job since the mid-1780s. One of Blake’s patrons commissioned a portrait and later a series of watercolors depicting Job’s trials. This work served as the basis for Blake’s Illustrations. Although Blake printed the Illustrations in 1825, they were not available for sale until March 1826. The Hebrew words above the English title read “Book of Job.” Blake’s work shows the use and influence of the King James Bible throughout. He refers to the Book of Job, but most illustrations also include references to other biblical books. [71-1] Plate 1 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) The first illustration in Blake’s series depicts Job and his wife, sons, and daughters. In addition to quoting from Job, Blake includes quotations from Luke and I and II Corinthians. [71-2] Plate 2 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) In his second illustration, Blake depicts Job and his wife sitting with six of their children. God sits above Job with a book in his lap. God points at Satan, who appears before his throne, hovering in the flames. Blake quotes from Daniel, Isaiah, Psalms, and Job.

[71-5] Plate 5 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) God remains on his throne and Satan descends, carrying a vial and preparing to smite Job with boils. Job, meanwhile, generously gives to someone in need. Blake includes quotations from Genesis, Psalms, and Job. [71-6] Plate 6 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) In this illustration, Blake restricted himself to quotes from Job, turning to both 1:21 and 2:7 as he depicts Satan standing above Job. Job lays upon a bed of straw. His wife kneels at Job’s feet. [71-13] Plate 13 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) In the intervening plates, Blake depicts Job’s suffering and his rebuke by his friends. In plate 13, Blake illustrates Job 38:1, “Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind.” Job and his wife raise their hands in prayer to God. Job’s friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar kneel at right. [71-14] Plate 14 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) Blake relies on the creation account of the first chapter of Genesis to complement his illustration of Job 38:7. Job and his wife sit with

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, listening to God from out of the whirlwind. [71-17] Plate 17 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) Following the fall of Satan, God blesses Job and his wife, who kneel before him in prayer. Job’s friends turn away, startled or frightened by God’s appearance. The gospel of John provides Blake with a complement to Job 42:5, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eyes seeth thee.” [71-21] Plate 21 of William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job (London: William Blake, 1825) The last plate in the series depicts Job at the end of his trials, prospering with his family. Blake includes a verse from Revelation and a verse from Hebrews as well. The design of this final plate mirrors the design of the first plate in the series. [81] Charles Dickens’s The Life of Our Lord, as published by the Austin American, March 1934 Newspapers across the United Kingdom and the United States published Charles Dickens’s The Life of Our Lord in 1934. Most newspapers promoted it as a collectible first edition by a major writer. The New York Times estimated that 20 million people in the United

States read The Life of Our Lord upon its serial publication. Its reviewer was somewhat critical of Dickens’s reliance on the King James text, writing, “It is, indeed, astonishing that a virtuoso of language like Dickens who reveled in rhetoric. . . should be reduced by this unaccustomed theme to the monosyllabic manner of the New Testament. Either he quotes or his phrases are paraphrase.”

[82] Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, or The Whale (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1851) The first American edition of Moby Dick appeared in November 1851. Though widely read, few recognize how deeply it engages with the Bible, not just in its use of biblical names like Ishmael and Ahab, but in its style and allusions. The list of extracts about whales that begins the book starts with Genesis 1:21 from the King James Version: “And God created great whales.” [212] Interior page of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, or The Whale (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1851) Digital reproduction Melville’s description of a whale utilizes both the style of the King James translation and a direct reference to Exodus 33:23, “And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts; but my face shall not be seen.”

[83] Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre: An Autobiography (London: Smith, Elder, 1847) This first edition of Jane Eyre appeared in 1847 under the pen name “Currer Bell.” Like many other nineteenth-century novels, Brontë’s

work shows her familiarity with and the influence of the King James Bible.

[213] Interior page of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre: An Autobiography (London: Smith, Elder, 1847) Digital reproduction This page features one of Brontë’s many references to the King James translation. She references Genesis 2:23, “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of a man.”

[84] Charles Sheldon’s manuscript of chapters 1–4 of In His Steps (1896) Sheldon’s manuscript reveals relatively few edits. As he wrote, he did change the protagonist’s name from John Raymond to Henry Maxwell and adopted “Raymond” as the name of the fictional town in which the story takes place.

[85] Charles Sheldon’s pen holder, used when writing In His Steps The accompanying envelope explains that Sheldon also used this pen holder when writing Robert Hardy’s Seven Days (1899) and The Crucifixion of Phillip Strong (1894).

[87] Charles Sheldon’s In His Steps (Chicago: Advance Publishing Company, 1897) When Sheldon’s publisher released In His Steps, it failed to secure proper copyright protection. Countless editions, some under alternate titles, appeared throughout the United States. The novel

was also a best-seller in the United Kingdom where one publisher reproduced it under the title, Our Exemplar.

[150/216] William Gannaway Brownlow’s Ought American Slavery to be Perpetuated? (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1858) Digital reproduction of interior pages This multi-night debate between Rev. W. G. Brownlow and Rev. A. Pryne was held in Philadelphia, September 1858. Both ministers turned to the Bible to bolster their arguments. Brownlow (1805–1877) later became well-known as Governor of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1869 to 1975. Though proslavery, he opposed Tennessee’s secession from the Union.   The abolitionist Abram Pryne (1823–1862) was an associate editor at one of Frederick Douglass’s newspapers, an editor at the Central Reformer, and was later elected to the New York Legislature in 1861.

[166] Frederick Douglass’s My Bondage, My Freedom (New York: Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1855) Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was an outspoken critic of the hypocrisy of American slaveholding Christianity. The excerpt at left comes from Douglass’s first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845). My Bondage, My Freedom was Douglass’s second account of his escape from slavery and his life as a free man.

[167] The Anti-Slavery Record, June 1837 The American Anti-Slavery Society published this small periodical for three years, from 1835 to 1837. Like many other anti-slavery organizations, the Bible provided a foundation for the Society’s opposition to slavery. The quotations on the front cover are from Leviticus 19:17–18 and Jeremiah 22:13.

[168] Richard Grant White’s The New Gospel of Peace (New York: The American News Company, 1866) Richard Grant White (1822–1885), a Shakespeare scholar, satirized the northern “Copperheads” who supported the South. He turned to the form and language of the King James Bible to do so, publishing a series of four pamphlets entitled “The New Gospel of Peace” during the American Civil War. While some reviewers lamented his use of “sacred language” for a worldly subject, others praised White’s work. White gathered the pamphlets together, added notes and an introduction, for this complete version of The New Gospel of Peace. In this section, White describes Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s attempted escape while wearing women’s clothing.

[189] Abraham Lincoln campaign pins and memorial buttons, ca. 1863– 1867 The relatively new art of photography played its first major, political role in popularizing the candidacy and memorializing the death of President Abraham Lincoln. Photographic portraits of the President appeared on a wide variety of pins, buttons, and other memorabilia that were mass-produced toward the end of the Civil War. Lincoln’s speeches were filled with biblical allusions, as was his second inaugural address at right.

[89] Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly (Boston: J.P. Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, 1852) Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin first appeared in serial form in the abolitionist National Era, beginning in June 1851. When it was released as a book, Stowe’s anti-slavery novel sold an estimated 300,000 copies in the United States during its first year of publication.

Sales were even stronger in Great Britain. The language of the King James translation runs throughout the novel as its characters debate the compatibility of slavery and Christianity.

[90] Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Dred, or A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp (Boston: Phillips, Sampson and Company, 1856) Though Stowe’s second anti-slavery novel proved less popular than Uncle Tom’s Cabin, it provided a compelling answer to her critics who found her characterization of Uncle Tom too passive. Dred, an escaped slave, seeks to foment a rebellion, and uses the language of Old Testament prophets to support his cause. Throughout the novel, women characters tend to quote the New Testament and advocate loving reconciliation while most male characters turn to the Old Testament and the promise of vengeance.

[91] A letter from Frederick Ward Beecher to Sarah Hale Goodwin, ca. 1856. Enlarged digital reproduction of letter detail In this letter to his fiancé, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s nephew, Frederick Ward Beecher, noted that he had read the first volume of Dred but was not able to read the book in one sitting because everyone else was reading it as well. He found the first half of the book compelling, and it brought to his mind the Latin phrase, “ars est celare artem,” or “it is art to conceal art.”

[131]

The Standard Edition of the Holy Bible, containing the King James and Revised Versions of the Old and New Testaments (Toledo, OH: U.S.B. publishing company, 1886]

This parallel edition of the Bible featuring both the Revised and King James translations allowed readers to compare the editions as they read, noting the approximately 36,000 changes made by the British and American translators.

[179] The Holy Bible : containing the Old and New Testaments / translated out of the original tongues being the version set forth A.D. 1611 compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1881–1885, newly edited by the American Revision Committee A.D. 1901 (New York: T. Nelson, 1901)   The extensive preface of the 1901 American Revised Version, sometimes called the American Standard Version, provided a justification of the new publication. Revisers altered language less familiar to American readers and substituted “Jehovah” for “Lord” and “God” for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). They also sought euphemisms for words like “bowels” that some readers might find offensive.

[92] James Agee and Walker Evans’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1941) This is the first edition of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Agee took the title from the Apocrypha, from the Book of Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Sirach, verse 44.

[93] Two pages of the manuscript of the “Shady Grove, Alabama” chapter of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, ca. 1940 In this portion of the “Shady Grove, Alabama” chapter, James Agee describes a burial ground and the gravesite of a young girl, Ida Ruth (he changed the name to “Clair Bell” in the final version). The excerpt concludes with the Lord’s Prayer as rendered in the Anglican Church’s Book of Common Prayer (1552), a work that predated and

likely influenced the rendering of the Lord’s Prayer in the King James translation.

[94] Two pages of the manuscript of the “Shelter” chapter of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, ca. 1940 The epigraph of the title comes from Psalm 43 and is typical of Agee’s use of biblical verses throughout the book. Elsewhere in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Agee describes the Gudger family Bible and its recording of marriages and births.

[95] Walker Evans’s photograph of Floyd Burroughs, 1935

[96] Walker Evans’s photograph of Lucille Burroughs, 1935

[97] Walker Evans’s photograph of the washroom and dining area of the Burroughs' Home, 1936

[98]

Walker Evans’s photograph of the kitchen wall in the Fields’ home, 1936

[99]

Walker Evans’s photograph of the fireplace in the Tengle home, 1936.

[100] Walker Evans’s photograph of Mrs. Burroughs taking in the milk, 1936

[101] Walker Evans’s photograph of Sunday singing, Tengle family, 1936

[144] Bruce Davidson/© Magnum Photos image of Martin Luther King, Jr. leading the Freedom March in Alabama, 1965 The Magnum Photos Collection resides at the Harry Ransom Center courtesy of MSD Capital, Michael and Susan Dell, Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman and John and Amy Phelan.

In 1965, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference worked with local organizers to lead marchers from Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery to protest the disenfranchisement of African Americans. There were three attempts to march. The first, on Sunday, March 7, 1965, ended in violence after state troopers attacked the marchers. On March 9, they held a “ceremonial march,” traveling only to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the “Bloody Sunday” attacks. On March 21, the protestors began their third march and reached Montgomery on March 25. King addressed the crowd in Montgomery, “The end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the black man. That will be the day of man as man.”

[145] Danny Lyon/© Magnum Photos image of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama, 1965.

The Magnum Photos Collection resides at the Harry Ransom Center courtesy of MSD Capital, Michael and Susan Dell, Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman and John and Amy Phelan.

Lyon captured this image of King on the street in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Note the presence of another photographer in front of King. Selma was the site of a powerful voting rights protest that culminated in a series of attempted marches to Montgomery, Alabama in March 1965.

[146] Danny Lyon/© Magnum Photos image of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham, Alabama, ca. 1963 The Magnum Photos Collection resides at the Harry Ransom Center courtesy of MSD Capital, Michael and Susan Dell, Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman and John and Amy Phelan.

King integrated the language of the King James Bible into his speeches whether delivering them from the pulpit or a podium. King spoke at the Birmingham funerals of three of the four young girls killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963. In his “Eulogy for Martyred Children,” he stated, “The holy Scripture says, ‘A little child shall lead them.’ The death of these little children may lead our whole Southland from the low road of man’s inhumanity to man to the high road of peace and brotherhood. “

[147] Danny Lyon/© Magnum Photos image of Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking in Nashville, Tennessee, 1964 The Magnum Photos Collection resides at the Harry Ransom Center courtesy of MSD Capital, Michael and Susan Dell, Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman and John and Amy Phelan.

1964 was an eventful year in King’s life. On July 2, 1964 he attended the signing of the Civil Rights Act, and he received the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize he said, “I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed and nonviolent redemptive goodwill proclaimed the rule of the land.

And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid.” This rarely exhibited image of King reveals the wide range of venues in which he spoke.

[148] Bob Adelman/© Magnum Photos image of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington, 1963 The Magnum Photos Collection resides at the Harry Ransom Center courtesy of MSD Capital, Michael and Susan Dell, Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman and John and Amy Phelan.

King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as over 200,000 people watched and listened. The speech was filled with imagery and language from the King James translation from “righteousness” rolling down like a “mighty stream” to “every valley shall be exalted.”

[127] A promotional poster for The Ten Commandments (1956) Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments retold the biblical story of Moses, with Charlton Heston in the starring role. DeMille consulted a wide range of sources including the Bible. The film is also a compelling product of the Cold War. In his introduction DeMille explains, “The theme of this picture is whether man ought to be ruled by God’s law or whether they are to be ruled by the whims of a dictator like Ramses. Are men property of the State, or are they free souls under God? This same battle continues throughout the world today.”

[128] A promotional poster for The Story of Ruth (1960) This 1960 film starring Elana Eden, Peggy Wood, and Tom Tryon adapted the story of Ruth to the big screen. Like other biblical epics

of the era, it promoted both the biblical and sensational aspects of the film, including “the spectacle of heathen idolatry,” “human sacrifice,” and “pagan revels.”  

[129] A promotional poster for Samson and Delilah (1949) Starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature, Cecil B. DeMille’s Samson and Delilah told the story from Judges 13–16. Like many other biblical epics, the film takes liberties with the biblical account. Delilah attempts to reconcile with Samson and to escape with him to Egypt.

[130] A promotional poster for David and Bathsheba (1951) The trailer for David and Bathsheba proclaimed, “20th Century-Fox, with all of the resources, creative genius and talent of Hollywood at its command, brings you the fire and tempest of the most forbidden of the world’s great love stories!” Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward played the lead roles, accompanied by a “cast of thousands.”

[152] One page of a continuity script for Cape Fear, ca. 1991 This single page of Wesley Strick’s script reveals the importance of the Bible and biblical allusion in Cape Fear. At the conclusion of his confrontation with his former attorney Sam Bowden, Max Cady instructs Bowden to “Check out the Bible. . . The book between Esther and Psalms.” Bowden is unfamiliar with the reference until he finds a Bible and opens it to the Book of Job.

[153 a and b] Production stills from Cape Fear, ca. 1991

These stills show Robert De Niro as Max Cady. The extensive tattoos help establish Cady’s identity as an avid student of the Bible and his preoccupation with vengeance and justice.

[178] The Holy Bible (New York: James Pott & Co., ca. 1910) Robert De Niro, as Max Cady, carried this Bible in the film Cape Fear. De Niro and screenwriter Wesley Strick challenged audiences by creating an evil character who embraces the Bible and its language.

[154] The Holy Bible (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1982) Robert De Niro used this King James Bible as he prepared for his role in Cape Fear. The Book of Job, which Cady invokes as he seeks vengeance against his attorney, is heavily highlighted.

[157 & 156] Tattoo transfers used for Robert De Niro’s character Max Cady in Cape Fear (ca. 1991) Digital reproduction included for readability De Niro, director Martin Scorcese, and artist Ilona Herman worked together to develop Max Cady’s tattoos. Many of these tattoos are taken directly from the Old and New Testaments of the King James translation.

[158] Editor Judith McNally’s notes on a draft of Norman Mailer’s The Gospel According to the Son, ca. 1996 Mailer’s editor provided extensive feedback on his draft of The Gospel. Though most critics questioned Mailer’s use of “King James” style, McNally notes, “As we’ve discussed, we do need a Jesus who sounds like the ‘King James Jesus’ occasionally.”

[164] Norman Mailer’s outlines for The Gospel According to the Son, ca. 1996 Throughout his writing career, Mailer relied on extensive outlines and charts to craft his often-complex narratives. His work on The Gospel was no different. He records the “parables in green; narrative in red” and traces the story of Jesus through the four gospels.

[163] The Holy Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990) Norman Mailer used this heavily annotated King James Bible as he worked on The Gospel According to the Son. As might be expected, most of his comments appear in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

[159, 160, 161, 162] Norman Mailer’s paste-ups of 2nd Kings, Mark, John, and Luke, ca. 1996 Mailer’s extensive markings on these pages of a paragraph Bible offer insight into his creative process and his reliance on the biblical text. Many critics were surprised by the degree to which Mailer followed the traditional, biblical depiction of Jesus.

[All of the following are cases]

[102] D. H. Lawrence’s Apocalypse (New York: The Viking Press, 1932) Published after his March 1930 death, Apocalypse offered Lawrence’s views on the Book of Revelation. This copy is the second American edition and the first to feature an introduction by poet Richard Aldington (1892–1962). Lawrence noted that, “From early childhood I have been familiar with Apocalyptic language and Apocalyptic image.”

[103] D. H. Lawrence’s typed manuscript pages for Apocalypse, ca. 1929 In these pages, Lawrence discusses his personal relationship and history with the King James Bible. He expresses his frustration at the heavy- handed way in which the Bible was forced upon him as a child.

[104] D. H. Lawrence’s handwritten manuscript of Apocalypse, ca. 1929 Lawrence ultimately cut this portion of Apocalypse, but it provides his perspective on the King James translation. He writes, “I am very grateful for the new translation of the Bible. . . [it] frees the book from the pompous snoring of the old Elizabethan language and the parson’s voice combined. The Bible language is wonderful granted. . . This wonderful noise at last becomes almost unbearable. . . But take a simple new translation and the spell is broken.”

[105]

George Bernard Shaw’s The Adventures of the Black Girl in her Search for God (London: Constable & Co, Ltd., 1932) Digital reproduction of interior pages Upon its publication in 1932, Shaw’s allegory prompted controversy. It follows a young African woman as she seeks to find God, prompted by interaction with a white English missionary. In a commentary following the story, Shaw outlines his critique of the King James Bible. Shaw regarded the King James translation as a significant work of art but suggested, “the extraordinary artistic value of the English translation has given it a magical power over its readers.” Shaw argued that as modern translations subjected the biblical text to the test of realism, readers might find it wanting.

[106] John Fairleigh’s illustration for Shaw’s commentary in The Adventures of the Black Girl in her Search for God, ca. 1932 John Fairleigh (1900–1965), a British engraver, completed extensive illustrations for Shaw’s The Adventures of the Black Girl in her Search for God. In addition to the controversy generated by Shaw’s text, Fairleigh’s engravings came under fire. This, the last engraving Fairleigh completed, was made according to Shaw’s suggestion, though it featured an accidental misspelling of “Genesis.”

[107] W. R. Matthews’s The Adventures of Gabriel in his Search for Mr. Shaw (London: H. Hamilton, 1933) Charles Herbert Maxwell’s Adventures of the White Girl in her Search for God (London: Lutterworth Press, 1933) A number of writers offered responses to Shaw’s The Adventures of the Black Girl in her Search for God. These two critiques presented stories that affirmed Christian faith, the significance of the Bible, and refuted Shaw’s claims to the contrary.

[110] “Family Says Essex was Seeking Justice,“ The New York Times, January 12, 1973 On December 31, 1972 and January 7, 1973, former U.S. Navy dental technician Mark Essex shot 19 people, including ten police officers in New Orleans, Louisiana before being shot to death by police. The event served as the basis of Adrienne Kennedy’s play An Evening with Dead Essex. In this newspaper clipping from Kennedy’s collection, Essex’s family explains that racial injustice likely prompted the shootings.

[109] Adrienne Kennedy’s copy of the An Evening with Dead Essex script, 1973 Kennedy’s play was first performed at the American Place Theatre in New York in November 1973—just 11 months after the shootings took place. The play depicts a director and actors developing a play about Essex, reading from newspaper clippings and watching projected images on a screen.

[111] Two pages from Adrienne Kennedy’s An Evening with Dead Essex manuscript, 1973 On these handwritten pages, Kennedy (b. 1931) transcribes the passage from Luke 3:3–6 that concludes the play. It reads, “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

[112] One page from Adrienne Kennedy’s An Evening with Dead Essex typed manuscript, 1973 This page of Kennedy’s typed draft with her own annotations documents the actors and directors seeking a suitable conclusion for the play. One actor suggests, “I think we should end with a Bible passage.” The director selects a passage from Luke.

[125] Archibald MacLeish’s J.B. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958) MacLeish (1892–1982) won the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 1959 Tony award for Best Play for J.B. Written in free verse, the play offers a modern retelling of the Book of Job. MacLeish, responding to the horrors of World War II, used the Bible story as his framework. He explained, “when you are dealing with questions too large for you which, nevertheless, will not leave you alone, you are obliged to house them somewhere—and an old wall helps.”

[126] The uncorrected page proofs of Archibald MacLeish’s J.B. (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1957) While the “modernized” portions of the play present J.B. in a contemporary setting, the narrators, Mr. Zuss and Mr. Nickles (who perform as God and Satan respectively), recite directly from the King James Bible’s the Book of Job.

[113] James Weldon Johnson’s God’s Trombones; Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (New York: The Viking Press, 1927) James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) was an established writer and respected African American leader when God’s Trombones appeared in 1927. In his preface, Johnson noted that he did not write the poems in dialect because, “The old-time Negro preachers, though they actually used dialect in their ordinary intercourse, stepped out from its narrow confines when they preached. They were saturated with the sublime phraseology of the Hebrew prophets and steeped in the idioms of King James English.” The illustrations are by artist Aaron Douglass (1898–1979).

[114] One page of PULSE magazine, featuring a tribute to James Weldon Johnson, ca. 1938 This extended profile of Johnson appeared following his 1938 death in an automobile accident. Johnson had been an instructor at Fisk University from 1931 to 1938, teaching creative writing and encouraging his students to publish. The accompanying photograph depicts Johnson reading one of the sermons from God’s Trombones to his students.

[115] James Weldon Johnson’s author biography questionnaire from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., ca. 1927 James Weldon Johnson’s work as a writer and activist in the NAACP had introduced him to a wide array of people. His list of “prominent persons. . . who may write special articles and reviews“ reads like a Who’s Who of American arts and letters and includes W. E. B. Du Bois, Carl Sandburg, Carl Van Vechten, and Walter White.

[118] William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! (New York: Random House, 1936) Faulkner’s ninth novel follows the misfortunes of Thomas Sutpen and his family. The title itself is biblical and derives from the story of David’s son Absalom, who rebelled against him and was killed by one of his generals. In addition to this specific reference, scholar Robert Alter has noted a number of “recurrent biblical terms” in the novel, including dust and clay, flesh and blood, flesh and bones, and land and curse.

[116] A letter from William Faulkner to Meta Carpenter, April 1936 In this letter to his mistress Meta Carpenter, Faulkner writes, “You are badly of my blood and bones.” Scholar Robert Alter has identified this as one of the tropes from the King James Bible that Faulkner uses in his novel, Absalom! Absalom!.

[117-- expendable] A letter from William Faulkner to Meta Carpenter, June 1936 Faulkner announces to his mistress that the American Mercury will run the first chapter of Absalom, Absalom! and that the novel will be out in September.

[215] Digital reproduction of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! (New York: Random House, 1936) In this excerpt, Faulkner relies on the “flesh, blood, and bone” language that scholar Robert Alter has argued is primarily biblical in its origin.

[120] Publicity materials from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. on the release of Joseph Heller’s God Knows (1984) This press release from the Knopf publishing firm features an extended excerpt of God Knows on the second page. It reveals the character David’s vast and anachronistic knowledge of the Bible and his belief that other stories pale in comparison to his own.

[121] A promotional booklet for Heller’s God Knows (1984) The excerpts featured here include the character David’s assessment of his son Solomon as a “putz” who seriously proposed cutting a baby in half. David argues that the biblical account ascribing wisdom to Solomon was wholly inaccurate.

[122] Two pages of a Knopf “sales summary” for Heller’s God Knows, ca. 1984 This document prepared for the Knopf sales force offers insight to one unique aspect of God Knows and its relationship to the King James translation. In the novel, the character David “wreaks havoc with our sense of time” commenting that he has “much better lines” in the Bible than Moses and lamenting that he does not have a “book of the Bible named after me.”

[123] An advertisement from Publisher’s Weekly for Heller’s God Knows, June 8, 1984 As Heller promoted the novel, he noted that, “There are few if any departures from the Bible. . . but there are many distortions. For example, there’s nothing in the Bible to justify my making Solomon a

humorless clod. And when I didn’t know what was going on, I made up a plausible story.” Heller also noted that he did not complete extensive research into David outside of the biblical account.

[124] Joseph Heller’s God Knows (New York: Knopf, distributed by Random House, 1984) Joseph Heller’s novel God Knows offered readers a retelling of the story of the biblical David from David’s own perspective. The humorous and playful novel often invokes and sometimes refutes the King James text directly. Heller, best known for his 1961 novel Catch22, retained its irreverent tone in God Knows. This copy belonged to Heller (1923–1999) and includes his annotations. Heller used this copy for public readings of the novel.