The Holy Bible
Subtitle: conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly translated out of the originall tongues: & with the former translations diligently compared and reuised, by his Maiesties speciall co[m]mandement.  Appointed to be read in Churches
Contributors: Bilson, Thomas, 1546 or 1547-1616, editor; Smith, Miles, -1624, editor
Edition: 1st issue of 1st ed.
Publisher: By Robert Barker, printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie
Published: 1611
Place of publication: Imprinted at London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 714
Work titles: Bible. English. Authorized. 1611
Notes: T.p. engraved on copper, the title within a design, with full length figures of Moses and Aaron at the sides and the four evangelists at the corners, signed: C. Boel fecit in Richmont; verso of t.p. blank.

New Testament t.p. within woodcut border representing the tents and shields of the twelve tribes, the twelve apostles, and the four evangelists:  "The Newe Testament of Our Lord and Sauiour Iesvs Christ, newly translated out of the originall Greeke: and with the former translations diligently compared and reuised, by his Maiesties speciall commandement.  Imprinted at London by Robert Barker ..., Anno Dom. 1611.; verso blank. [288] p.

Black letter; double columns, 59 lines; marginal readings. Without pagination, except the Geneologies, paged 1-34; the prelim. leaves have signatures A[superscript6], B[superscript2], C[superscript6] (C[superscript2] reads A[superscript2]), D[superscript4], the Geneologies, A-C[superscript6]; the table and map, D[superscript2] (unsigned); Old Testament, A-Ccccc[superscript6]; New Testament, A-Aa[superscript6].

For full description and minute collation of the first and second issues of the 1611 ed. and following editions, see James Lenox, Early editions of King James' Bible, 1861; H. Cotton, Editions of the Bible, 1852; W.J. Loftie, A century of Bibles, 1872; British and Foreign Bible Society Historical Catalogue 1:133-136 (no. 240); John Rylands Library, Manchester, The English Bible ..., 1899. Lea Wilson in his Bibles ... in English, 1845, p. 97-100, gives a detailed description of these editions, with the exception of this first issue, which he apparently had not seen, his "first edition" being the so-called second issue.

"The editors who passed the book through the press were Miles Smith ... and Thomas Bilson ..." -Darlow & Moule, 1:134.

fol. 2a. "The epistle dedicatorie." 3 p. -- fol. 3b. "The translators to the reader." 11 p. -- fol. 9a. "The  calendar in red and black." 12 p. -- fol. 15a. "An almanacke for xxxix. yeeres", in red and black. 1 p. -- fol. 15 b. "To finde Easter for euer", in red and black. 1 p. -- fol. 16a. "The table and kalender." 1 p. -- fol. 16b. "Proper lessons." 1 p. -- fol. 17a. "Lessons proper for holy dayes." 1 p. -- fol. 17b. "Proper Psalmes" and "Order of the Psalmes." 1 p. -- fol. 18a. "Holy dayes." 1 p. -- fol. 18b. "The names and order of all the bookes", printed wholly in black. 1 p. -- fol. 19a "Woodcut of the royal arms." -- fol. 19b. "The genealogies of Holy Scriptvres." 35 p. -- ff.37a, 38b. "An alphabeticall table of all the places mentioned in this land of Canaan." 2 p. -- ff.37b. 38a. Map of Canaan, "Begun by Mr. Iohn More continued and finished by Iohn Speede anno Domini 1611" ; engraved on copper by Renold Elstrack. 2 p.

Old Testament and Apocrypha. [1140] p.

The first issue of the first edition of the Authorised version or King James' Bible, sometimes called the great "He Bible". (Ruth iii, 15: "he went into the citie.") In the second issue of 1611, called the "She Bible", and in following editions, this passage reads "she went". The recto of the first leaf of the Genealogies in this copy has a large woodcut of the royal arms with supporters and motto, the whole enclosed in a double rule, and beneath, the words "Cum' Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis". Lenox says (Early editions, p. 6), "The leaf in one of these forms, and usually with the royal arms on the recto is peculiar to the this issue. I have never seen it in any other."