The Bible at the Beinecke, a blog created last summer by curatorial assistant Stacie Vos, provides a detailed introduction to the library’s collection of English Bibles. The blog begins with the recently acquired Tyndale Bibles, situating them in the wider context of English Bible translation such as the Coverdale, Geneva, and King James Bibles.

Vos, a master of divinity student at the Yale Divinity School, says her interest in the Bibles stems from her research on depictions of early modern readers in a number of primary religious texts she has encountered at the library, especially Puritan biographies. The blog sheds light on the experience of early modern readers of the English Bible using evidence found in pretext – various elements supplementing a work’s main text – including marginal notations and inscriptions (both in print and by hand), prefaces, letters to the reader, illustrations, and general book format.  The blog also introduces readers to related material in the library collections, such as sermons, biblical commentaries, and commonplace books.

Upcoming posts will provide further background on the various printers behind the English Bibles, including Robert Crowley and Richard Jugge. Readers can also expect posts on Books of Hours and psalters in the collection.