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![[picture: Front Cover, Geneva Bible]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/tn/000-Front-Cover-q75-387x500.jpg "[picture: Front Cover, Geneva Bible]")
Some scans from a 1581 copy of the Geneva Bible.
These images are large files!
You can see the outside of the book here.
The first version of this translation was made in Geneva, in Switzerland, because the Roman Catholic Church had been so afraid of what would happen if ordinary people had access to the Bible without going through the priests that they had arranged for translating the Bible into modern local languages was punishable by death. The Roman Catholic Church still uses services in Latin in some parts of the world. Such is the power of knowledge and the fear of those in charge of losing that power.
This Bible is also known as the Breeches Bible because, in the story of the Fall from Grace, instead of sewing loin-cloths out of fig leaves, Adam and Eve are described as making breeches (trousers, or, in the US, pants) out of fig leaves, a fairly major sewing project!
My copy is dated 1581, and is rather late. By that time the Reformation had taken hold in England and the text could be printed in English.
Title: Geneva Bible Scans
City: Geneva
Date: 1581
Total items: 18
Out of copyright (called public domain in the USA), hence royalty-free for all purposes usage credit requested, or as marked.
![[picture: Dragon!]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/000-New-Testament-Title-Page-detail-dragon-q75-131x200.jpg "[picture: Dragon!]")
An heraldic dragon from the Geneva Bible New Testament Title Page. [$]
![[picture: Red Dragon!]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/000-New-Testament-Title-Page-detail-red-dragon-q75-131x200.jpg "[picture: Red Dragon!]")
An heraldic dragon from the Geneva Bible New Testament Title Page. [more...] [$]
![[picture: Cartouche or frame from title page of Concordance]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/Concordance-RFH-title-page-detail-cartouche-q75-171x200.jpg "[picture: Cartouche or frame from title page of Concordance]")
Cartouche or frame from title page of Concordance
This is the frame around the device (or trade-mark) of the printer Christopher Barker that was on the 1581 title-page of the Geneva Bible. It features trees and scroll-work and an oval central space. [more...] [$]
![[picture: Title page detail: heraldic scrollwork]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/Concordance-RFH-title-page-detail-scrollwork-q75-172x200.jpg "[picture: Title page detail: heraldic scrollwork]")
Title page detail: heraldic scrollwork
The concordance title page includes this cartouche with a boar’s head (rather like a chess-piece, on a crowned brick base, formally a “mural crown”) with a scroll coming from its mouth and at the bottom [...] [more...] [$]
![[picture: Front Cover, Geneva Bible]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/000-Front-Cover-155x200.jpg "[picture: Front Cover, Geneva Bible]")
This 1581 Geneva Bible is bound in full leather with gold tooling. [$]
![[picture: Bookplate for 1581 Geneva Bible]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/000-Bookplate-q75-147x200.jpg "[picture: Bookplate for 1581 Geneva Bible]")
Bookplate for 1581 Geneva Bible
The dot screening tells me this isn’t actually a very old book-plate (ex libris). My guess would be early 1900s. It is a crest with the name Huss, surmounted with the closed helmet of a lesser knight. [more...] [$]
![[picture: New Testament Title Page]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/000-New-Testament-Title-Page-q75-146x200.jpg "[picture: New Testament Title Page]")
Although I already had a photograph of the title page, it’s interesting enough that I wanted to add a 2400dpi scan. Notice the dragon! [more...] [$]
![[picture: Title page for Concordance]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/Concordance-RFH-title-page-q75-146x200.jpg "[picture: Title page for Concordance]")
![[picture: Title page, The Whole Booke of Psalmes]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/Psalms-Hopkins-1581-000-title-page-q90-154x200.jpg "[picture: Title page, The Whole Booke of Psalmes]")
Title page, The Whole Booke of Psalmes
The title page from the book of psalms (with music) at the back of this 1581 Geneva Bible. I didn’t clean up this scan, so you can see the music showing through from the back a little. [more...] [$]
![[picture: To The Reader: guide to reading early modern music]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/Psalms-Hopkins-1581-000-obverse-q85-150x200.jpg "[picture: To The Reader: guide to reading early modern music]")
To The Reader: guide to reading early modern music
This is printed on the back of the title page of the Psalms, from 1581. It shows two staves with different clefs and the nmes of the notes that were in use in [...] [more...] [$]
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![[picture: p.425: Ephesians Chapters 1 and 2]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Geneva/wm/big/Geneva-p524-q75-164x200.jpg "[picture: p.425: Ephesians Chapters 1 and 2]")
