Evening star., 1935-10-06
City Is Bible Center


James Bible, still generally used in
Protestant churches, although with |
various obvious errors eliminated.
A curious biblical manuscript at the
Library of Congress is part of the
translation from the Greek, made by |
Charles Thompson of Pennsylvania,
clerk of the Continental Congress.
This was the first attempt made to
translate the Bible in America.
Among the treasures of the Library |
of Congress is a copy of the second |
edition of the first publication of the |
Bible in an European language in the |
United States. This was printed in |
German at Philadelphia in 1776 by
Christopher Sauer. The principal
part of this edition, in unbound
sheets, is said to have been converted
into cartridge paper during the Revo-
lutionary War. There also is an edi-
ton of the New Testament published
in 1877 by the Ephrata Cloister of
German Pietists in Pennsylvania. All
of these German editions followed
closely the text of the original transla-
ton by Martin Luther.
The Library also has fine repre-
sentation of old Latin Bibles. Among
them Is the Latin version of Erasmus,
dated 1886. In the collections of
Semitic and Oriental literature there
are some rare and valuable Hebrew
editions of the Old Testament.
The collection contains first edi-
tion of John Elliot's translation of the
Bible into the language of the Natick
Indians of Massachusetts,, printed at
Cambridge in 1868 This was the first
Bible published in North America and
represented one of the most prodigious
literary laborS ever undertaken by
human being.
THE National Museum collection
cootains the well-worn New
Testament used by Francis Asbury,
the first Methodist bishop ordained
in America. 1t is marked with hun
dreds of texts for his sermons in his
own handwriting. Asbury was sent
out as a missionary by John Wesley
in It'll and organized in person the
work of his denomination in the en-
tire Eastern portion of the country.
This collection also contains
facsimile copy of the Biblia Pauperum,
or Bible of the Poor. series of wood
cuts illustrating events IN the life of
Jesus, each with representations OF
supposed parallels from the Old
Testament, accompanied with ex-
planatory texts. Such books were in
vogue during the Middle Ages until,
through the invention Of printing, the
complete scriptures were made avail
able for the people.
The National Museum has a copy
of the second edition OF Luther's Bible,
published in 1854. The version marked
the formation of the present German
literary dialect, just as the Wycliffe
translation IN England did much to
standardize the English tongue. The
museum also has another edition OF
Luther's Bible, issued in l7O4 at
Frankfort, which has numerous wood
cut illustrations and an historical and
chronological list.
A notable Bible in the collection Is
a Spanish Old Testament printed at
Amsterdam in 176l.
Other biblical curiosities at the
National Museum are:
The Gospels in the Fiji language,
printed at Vua, Fiji Islands, in 1847.
This was the work of Wesleyan mis-
sicuaries who had introduced Chris
tianity into the islands.
A facsimile of the single extant copy
of Cromwelrs Soldiers Pocket Bible.
This was issued for the use of the
Army of the Commonwealth in l643.
1t has frequently been stated that
every soldier in Cromwells army was
provided with one Of these pocket
Bibles and the common belief has
been that au especially small copy was
used. It was buttoned between the
coat and the vest, next to the heart,
and was almost matter Of regulation
uniform in the Puritan regiments.
Actually, it was book of quotations,
almost all of which were taken from
the Old Testament and carefully
selected to provide scriptural justifl-
cation for war. The single original is
in the British Museum.
A first edition of the Greek and
Latin New Testament Of Erasmus
printed in Switzerland in 1916.
Luther's translation was based largely
on this text prepared by the great
Dutch classical scholar.
An Ethiopic version of the Bible
obtained from King Theodore of Ethi-
opia by Gen. Napier, leader OF the
British army of invasion in 1868, and
by him presented to Gen. U. S. Grant.
The Ethiopic version was made in the
fourth century, probably by Frumen-
thus, the Apostle of Ethiopia. 1t has
46 books in all, containing, in addl-
ton to the canonical books, a consid-
cradle number of the Apocrapha.
An edition of the King James ver-
sion printed in London in 1913. The
first edition was printed in 1911.
A folio edition of the Latin Bible
printed in Germany by Anthony CO.
burger in 1478, one of the earliest
printed versions of the Vulgate. The
version represented by this edition was
made by st. Jerome in Bethlehem
late in the fourth century. The ini-
tial letters of each paragraph are
painted by hand.
RUT perhaps the most curious of all
the Bibles in the National Mu-
scum is the so-called Jefferson Bible.
Thomas jefferson, as is well known,
was a religious liberal. He endeav-
ored to extract from the Scriptures
those passages which, in his opinion.
we're worthy of preservation. For
this purpose he purchased copies of
the New Testament in English, Greek,
Latin and French and cut out of them
the verses he wished. These are
pasted in his own book which he
called 1.-THE Life and Morals of Jesus
of Nazareth" The compilation was
made about 1919. A concordance of
the text is given in the front and
sources of the verses in the margins.
The section of the Roman law under
which Christ was tried also is cited
All these notes are in Jefferson's