The History of the Bible in America

 The Holy Word of God is "The Best Selling Book of All Times", but of course, we will never find it on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Why, it won't even make it to The Wall Street Journal's list. But, yet and still the Bible is still, even today, the best selling book of all times. 

This year, I've noticed three new Bibles have been added to the list of Bibles produce by folks in America. I don't know if the Bibles, themselves are produced in America. But, the companies which produce them are based, here in the states. 

The first on my list is Bibliotheca, which is due to ship this month!

Is it not absolutely Beautiful! Click on the above image for their website. 

The folks, over at Crossway, have elected to join the five volume set product game, with the ESV Spiral-Bound Journaling Bible.

This set is beautiful, as well! Click on the above image for their website. 

But, y'all the folks over at Whitaker House have baked a whole new cake, by cooking up, not only a new Bible, but they have somewhat created a whole new translation. I must say, if my options were to purchase only one of these three new bibles, it would be, this new Bible created by Whitaker House. The King James Version Easy Readers (KJVER) will be available for purchase September 17, 2024!

The History of the Bible in America does not start in America! I'm not ashamed to admit it, I own several copies of The Holy Word of God and I collect vintage editions of "The Word." One of my favorite vintage editions was produced by The John A. Hertel Company. 

The Hertel New Standard Reference Bible contains some super solid Bible History!

Dr. Rev. A.F. Schauffler (1845-1919) writes and or shares articles for Hertel: The Bible An Inspired Book, How we got our English Bible, Divisions of the Bible and History of The English Bible. 

The History of the Bible in America does not start in America! John Wycliffe (1330-1384) was born in Yorkshire England, was an English theologian, church reformer and translator of the first English Bible in 1384. According to Britannica, he died from the results of a stroke in December of 1384. 

Wycliffe                                                                1384

Tyndale's New Testament                                     1525

Coverdale Bible                                                    1535

Matthew's Bible                                                    1537

The Great Bible                                                    1539

The Geneva Bible                                                 1560

The Bishops' Bible                                                1568

The Rheims New Testament                                 1582

The Douai Old Testament                                     1609-1610

King James Bible                                                  1611

KJV printed at Cambridge                                    1629

The Slave Bible                                                    1807

Charles Thompson                                                1808

A vast number of independent translation have been published since the KJV of 1611 and Schauffler goes on to write: "The marvelous power of the Book itself is assurance that, if need be, in generations to come it will find new expressions in translations of accuracy and power."

And so, here we are, a little more than one hundred years after his death, with at least three beautiful new bibles.