1536 Tyndale New Testament – Facsimile Edition
William Tyndale is one of the most important Bible translators that ever lived. He produced the first English New Testament to be printed, and it was the first English Bible based on the Hebrew and Greek texts. He was burned at the stake in 1536 for his work. His work is still popular since 90% of his work still lives in the KJV. He first published his New Testament in 1526. This was revised and eventually published in 1536 with illustrations. The 1536 Tyndale New Testament – Facsimile Edition from The Bible Museum is a facsimile of the Blank Stone edition of Tyndale’s elaborate New Testament with woodcut illustrations.
The KJV Store provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
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Table of Contents
- Video Review
- Binding
- Paper
- Typography and Layout
- Illustrations
- Book Summaries
- Bible Leaves
- Conclusion
Video Review
Binding
This Tyndale Bible is bound in a hardcover covered in burgundy-brown bonded leather with gold stamping along the spine. The grain looks and feels like calfskin. I’m not sure what the liner is made of, but it feels like thick fabric. The block is sewn. The stiffness of the paper makes it difficult to stay open. The overall size is 9.2 x 6.25 x 1.5″ and it weighs 2 lbs, 3.8 oz. It doesn’t have a ribbon, but it does have red and gold head/tail bands.
Paper
The paper is heavy cream archival grade, 100% acid-free. It’s cream in color and it’s highly opaque. I’m not sure of the GSM, but it feels between 60-80 GSM. There is no show-through and the print has a high enough contrast that the cream color doesn’t affect readability. The paper is easy to grab and turn. This paper looks and feels high-quality.
Typography and Layout
The layout is a single-column, paragraph format. Lists are presented as lists. It includes chapter summaries at the beginning of each chapter. The chapters are labeled with Roman numerals. There are paragraph markers and notes in the margins. The notes were handwritten by a previous owner of the original edition that was scanned to create this facsimile. It also includes signature marks to show the binder the proper order of the signatures. Each book starts with a decorative drop cap. Most of the chapter drop caps are simple letters.
The text is photographically enlarged to 125% of the size of the original to make it easier to read. It looks to be around 12-point. The font is Gothic Blackletter. The print is very dark. A few pages have ink smears, but it’s still readable. I do find this typeface difficult to read, though. It has around 12 words per line. The text does not include verse numbers. It has symbols in the margins of several pages. Each book ends with a taper. I like this design a lot.
Illustrations
Throughout the text are many large woodcut illustrations. They’re set into the text, taking about 1.25 x 2 inches of space. There are lots of them and they are extremely detailed and intricate.
Book Summaries
There are several summaries for individual books and large sections of books. Most books have small summaries at the end. Several large sections, including the epistles, have summaries that take several pages. The summaries are in a smaller font than the text.
Bible Leaves
As a bonus, this Bible includes leaves (actual real pages) from an original KJV and an original Geneva Bible. They include booklets with information about each Bible and each leaf. My KJV leaf was from the first page of Titus. My Geneva leaf was the first page of Philippians.
Conclusion
The 1536 Tyndale New Testament – Facsimile Edition is an interesting New Testament, and it’s a great way to own a replica of this historically significant Bible. The scan, print, construction, and materials are of high quality. If you’re interested in realistic copy of William Tyndale’s important work, the 1536 Tyndale New Testament – Facsimile Edition is an excellent choice.
_________________________________________________________
This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
_________________________________________________________
The KJV Store provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
