Family Bibles - A Treasured Tradition

For at least a century, from the late 1880’s until the 1980’s, the time-honored American tradition of having a large “Family Bible” on prominent display in most Christian households was part of our culture as Americans and our heritage as Christians. That big “Family Bible” stood as a silent witness to all that home’s visitors, demonstrating without speaking a word that this home was a Christian Home. Often family records of births, deaths, and marriages were penned into the blank pages at the front or back.

Decline of The Family Bible

Then, in the 1980’s… the economically booming “Reagan Years”, the “Me Decade”… something happened.  That rich tradition of proudly displaying a very large Bible in the Christian Home just fell out of favor.  Sure, we still had the hand-sized Bible that we take to church and back home, which we kept on the nightstand, or on a shelf.  But the unapologetically huge display Bible… the beloved Family Bible… the one that was the centerpiece of the living room or den… disappeared from the American Home. Why did Family Bibles disappear?

Do You Remember Family Bibles?

Do you remember it? It was a very large format Bible with big print and beautiful typeface. The family gathered around to read it, if not daily, then at least on special occasions, like Easter and Christmas. Family Bibles held a place of honor in the Christian Home, and they were displayed with pride. All who entered the home saw this family heirloom, this treasured Family Bible, and knew instantly that this was a home with Christian values.

Do you have such a Family Bible displayed visibly in your home, signifying the Christ-centered focus of your home, and functioning as a silent witness that “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”? Or do you just have the conveniently hand-sized Bible that you take the church and rest on the shelf through the week?

Bringing Back The Family Bible

We believe that we should recapture that tradition, but it needs to be a special Bible that holds such a place of honor. It needs to be a statement piece: huge in format, elegant in typeface, and with a sense of history, heritage, and birthright about it… not just some mass-produced modern-looking printing.

Choosing The Best Family Bible

For the person seeking an affordable large format Family Bible in the King James Version, we suggest the Oxford KJV Pulpit Bible originally printed in 1769, and often referred to as “The Perfected King James Bible”. Few realize it, but the First Edition King James Bible of 1611 has not been in print since the early 1600’s. That original KJV of 1611 contained several typographical errors, and spellings that are extremely antiquated by modern standards. Its punctuation likewise does not follow modern use. The 1611 KJV Bible was revised in 1615, and again in 1629, and again in 1638, and again in 1762, and again in 1769. The King James Bible you have known all your life is actually the 1769 Oxford Standardized Version… even though it may not actually say that anywhere in your Bible.

Family Bibles as Family Heirlooms

For the person seeking an investment-grade original ancient Bible as a display piece for their home, rather than one of the lower-priced facsimile reproductions, the inventory of The Bible Museum provides many options from which to choose, all of which can be seen by searching the current online inventory of ancient Bibles.

History’s First Family Bible

The first “Family Bible” in the English language actually dates back to half a century before the 1611 King James Bible. It was the 1560 Geneva Bible While the Geneva Bible was not the very first English language Bible ever printed (that would be the 1535 Coverdale Bible), the 1560 Geneva Bible was nevertheless the first English Bible to be produced specifically for the primary purpose of personal home use. English Bibles before the Geneva Bible were either illegal productions made covertly by brave reformers, or they were officially sanctioned Anglican Church productions intended for public use on the church pulpit.

The Geneva Bible was produced by English Protestant refugees, fleeing the rule of Catholic Queen “Bloody Mary”, and living in Geneva (Switzerland). They produced a special English language Bible translation which was the first to use numbered verses, and the first to use plain Roman typeface, and the first to add commentary notes to the scriptures. It was intended to be a “Home Schooler’s Bible”, making it the quintessential Family Bible that was the progenitor of all Family Bibles in the English language which came after it.

Illustrated Family Bibles

One feature that many people seek in their Family Bibles is illustrations. The greatest of all illustrated Bibles of antiquity is undoubtedly the spectacularly beautiful 1568 Bishops Bible. However, the Bishops Bible is not really a Family Bible. It was more of an official church Bible.

A better example of an illustrated Family Bible of centuries gone by would be the 1846 Illuminated Bible. Featuring more than 1,600 woodcut illustrations, it was the most elaborately illustrated Bible ever printed up until that time. Like nearly all the Family Bibles of its day, the Illuminated Bible was a King James Version. The illustrations helped to keep the interest of children who were learning to read the Bible, and adults also appreciated the finely detailed images which complimented the scriptural readings on each page.

The Family Bible As An Archive

Another function of Family Bibles for centuries has been as a place to document family records of birth, marriage, and death. These records were typically written on the inside blank leaves in the front or back of Family Bibles. In fact, unto this day, when personal identification records are lost or stolen, bringing family genealogical records written inside a Family Bible to the courthouse is often acceptable as proof to reissue birth certificates and similar records. Those researching their genealogy find these records kept in Family Bibles to be of paramount importance in confirming their family lineage.

The Family Bible As a Gathering Point

For many families, the Family Bible is an iconic heirloom which serves as a focal point for holiday gatherings. Reading the scriptural passages about the birth of Christ at Christmas, or the resurrection of Christ at Easter, can be meaningful and memorable traditions to maintain. Some families take this even further, and practice daily devotional readings together, as they gather around their Family Bibles.

Original Source: https://greatsite.com/family-bibles/

What Should You Know About the 1611 King James Bible for Sale

Buying a rare copy of an original Bible like the 1611 King James Bible (also called KJV or King James Version) may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t own a piece of history. You could get a facsimile of the original King James Bible for sale and proudly show it as a valuable addition to your personal library. It could even be a great gift to friends and family, especially the ones who are interested in reading some of the rarest and most unique Bibles.

For more than 400 years, people have loved the KJV or the Authorized Version of the Bible. It stands out for its majestic phrasing and splendid cadences. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that perhaps no other book has so intensely impacted our language as well as our theology.

Thus, it’s not a surprise that there’s a high demand for facsimiles of the original 1611 King James Bible. If you are also planning to get one, here are a few things you should know.

The Story Behind the 1611 King James Bible

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603) reinstated Protestantism as England’s official religion (following Queen Mary’s attempt to restore Roman Catholicism in the nation). Elizabeth also imposed a high level of uniformity upon the Church of England.

In 1604, almost immediately after James’s coronation as England’s king, a churchmen’s conference requested the English Bible’s revision. This was due to the existing translations being regarded as corrupt and unanswerable to the truth of the original, according to these churchmen.

King James quickly understood the proposal's broader value and why a new authorized translation was required. He acted fast and, by June 30, 1604, approved 54 revisers. However, present-day records confirm that only 47 scholars really participated.

These scholars were categorized into six groups, two each working separately at Oxford, Westminster, and Cambridge on parts of the Bible allocated to them. The work was overseen by Canterbury’s archbishop, Richard Bancroft (1544–1610), who also established doctrinal principles for the translators. In 1611, the new Bible was published.
Not since the Septuagint — the earliest extant Greek-language version of the Old Testament (translated from the original Hebrew) — had a Bible translation of such a massive scale been undertaken under regal sponsorship as a cooperative project.

A detailed set of rules was planned to restrain individual proclivities and guarantee the translation’s unbiased and scholarly character. Unlike earlier practice, the new version was set to use vulgar forms of proper names (such as “Jonah” or “Jonas” for “Yonah” in Hebrew) to align with its goal of making the Scriptures familiar and popular.

As guidance for their work, the translators used extant English-language translations, including William Tyndale’s partial translation and Jewish commentaries. Thanks to the extensive range of scholarly tools made available to them, the translators were able to decide how to render uniqueness and independent judgment. This was one of the primary reasons behind the new version being far more true to the Bible’s original languages and more academic than any of its predecessors.

The King James Bible showed a prominent influence of the original Hebrew. It appeared as if the translators and revisers consciously tried to replicate the Hebrew Scriptures’ style and rhythm in their work. As a result, the English New Testament’s literary style turned out to be better than its Greek original.

Features of the Original 1611 KJV

The original 1611 A.D. text of the KJV was written in Early Modern English and displayed the language’s closer ties to its Latin roots. This Bible’s spelling was in Jacobean style. Though it wasn’t fully standardized, readers could read it phonetically.

The original typeface of the 1611 KJV with Apocrypha was in Gothic style. Today, both its older language and the typestyle may be considered complex to read by modern English readers, which is why some facsimiles of the King James Bible for sale use a modern typestyle. But there’s no denying that King James Version is still respected and recognized for its cadence, beauty, and poetic feel.

When buying a facsimile of the 1611 King James Bible for sale, you should ensure to choose a reliable and reputed dealer of rare and antique Bibles. Else, you may end up buying a replica of the 1769 Oxford King James revision, with revised spellings and some words being changed. If you aren’t careful, you could even be cajoled to buy a facsimile of the 1611 KJV where the original’s extra prefatory features have been removed.

Final Words

When buying a facsimile of the 1611 King James Bible for sale, make sure to check some of its key features to ensure you are paying for an exact replica of the original, not a later version with changed words, revised spellings, and missing prefatory features.