[The King James “She” Bible]. The Holy Bible: Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly translated out of the Originall Tongues: and with the former Translations diligently compared and reuised by his Maiesties speciall Comandement. Appointed to be Read in Churches.

[BIBLE],.

$95,000.00

Item Number: 139786

London: Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings Most Excellent Majestie, 1611.

Rare first edition, second issue of the King James Bible with the erroneous phrase found in the first issue “and he went into the citie” in Ruth 3:15 corrected to “…she went…” Folio, bound in full early calf with gilt ruling and stamping to the spine, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, lacking the title page to The Old Testament, The New Testament title page with elaborate historiated woodcut border dated 1611 with the words “Appointed to be read in churches” and “Cum priuilegio” at the foot, woodcut initials & headpieces, with the opening calendar printed in red and black, the genealogies, and apocrypha. The “She” Bible is Fry’s “first edition, second issue” of the King James Bible, commonly known as the Authorized Version, undoubtedly the most influential of all English language versions of the Bible. The first edition is known to exist in two issues, the Great “He” Bible and the Great “She” Bible. The accepted first issue of the Bible had the reading in Ruth 3:15,”…and he went into the citie,” and in the accepted second issue, the passage reads correctly “…and she went into the citie.” The second issue also contains the error “Judas” for “Jesus” in Matthew XXVI, which has been corrected in a contemporary hand in this example. Lacking 9 preliminary leaves of 17, and 34 leaves of the New Testament. ESTC S124527; Herbert 319. In very good condition.

"From about the middle of the seventeenth century until the appearance of the Revised Bible of 1881-5, the King James' version reigned without rival" (Herbert 319). One of the most influential texts in the English language, Thomas Macaulay anointed it "a book, which if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power" (PMM 114). The official work of translation was undertaken by nearly 50 scholars over the span of 1604 to 1611, but it can be seen as the culmination of nearly a century of work, beginning with William Tyndale's New Testament translations, and including the bibles of Coverdale and Whitchurch, the Bishops' Bible, the Geneva Bible, and the Rheims New Testament. "Appointed to be read in Churches," the Great "He" Bible was exposed to public usage (on lecterns) and almost all surviving copies have suffered some manner of damage or loss.