New and Interesting Bibles and Versions

Museum Store Sale

2012-01-30T06:31:00.003-06:00

The newest coupon code for the Museum Store is for 20% off your order up to $150. Use the code SHADOWHOG at checkout. This code is good through February 3rd. Please note this is for item in the Museum Store not those on the "special sales" section of my site.

iPad for Bible viewing

2012-01-26T07:29:00.005-06:00

An excellent way to display those PDFs of Bibles you've been collecting is an Apple iPad. Since I am now out of work, I am forced to sell mine. It is an iPad 1 (MB294LL) 64gb, Wi-Fi. If you are interested, please view my Auction on eBay. If you win, e-mail me mentioning this blog entry and I will include a free historical Bible in PDF on a CD for you to load on your new iPad!

Timothy Clontz

2012-01-20T13:24:00.001-06:00

Timothy Clontz translated the Common Edition: New Testament and the Comprehensive New Testament. He was working on a third which was to be titled the Comprehensive Orthodox New Testament. Does anyone know the current status of this project?

Campfire New Testament

2012-01-20T07:32:00.001-06:00

I just discovered this New Testament version this morning. It is called the Campfire New Testament. There are samples of the translation and a short description. If anyone knows how to contact the author, please let me know. I couldn't find any contact information.

Ancient Roots Translinear Bible, New Testament

2012-01-18T11:58:00.002-06:00

A. Frances Werner's Ancient Roots Translinear Bible was complete last year with the publication of Ancient Roots Translinear Bible, New Testament. You can view samples of it on Amazon.com. If anyone has this, could you send me the quotes for John 14:6 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions

2012-01-13T14:16:00.001-06:00

Yes, it is finally going to get finished. I have signed a contract with McFarland Publishing to publish my Encyclopedia of English-Language Bible Versions. Of course the title isn't definite yet, but should be something similar. I will be delivering the manuscript in a couple months. If you know of any new Bible translations even if it is a project just getting started, please let me know. I have a special page of questions I haven't gotten answered yet. I would appreciate any information you can share. Thank you!

Also, I want to personally thank Bill Paul for encouraging me to pursue publication with McFarland. I told him they wouldn't be likely to publish it. How delighted I am to be wrong!

There are a lot more "thank you"s due many, many of you. I appreciate all the help you have given as I've searched for English Bibles, translators and Scripture quotes.

This is a culmination of about 17 years of study on this topic. I hope that the publication of this work will be a help to some one else in their studies.

I will post more when other details become available.

Action Bible Update

2012-01-13T09:54:00.000-06:00

I posted about the Action Bible, a graphic novel type work, about a year ago. Today I discovered that there is a web site for this work. Take a look - it has thunder and lightning in the background! More importantly, it has samples of the Action Bible for viewing online.
The Action Bible

No Copyright Version

2011-12-29T09:00:00.001-06:00

Just found another attempt to produce a copyright free version of the Bible. This one is just the book of Galatians so far. It is found at Brian's Blog. He is working from the interlinear Greek New Testament. He is calling it the NCV (no copyright version). The abbreviation is unfortunate since there is already the New Century Version already abbreviated NCV. There is a copyright free revision of the American Standard Version online called the Digital American Standard Version. Brian's work is being done so that their church can print out sections of the Bible for careful Bible study.

Divine Names King James Bible

2011-12-28T10:11:00.001-06:00

Bill Chamberlin sent me this link yesterday. It is the Divine Names King James Bible. The revisers used "Jehovah" in 6,972 places (or it is restored in 6,972 places). As the name suggests, this is a revision of the King James Bible.

New Matthew Bible

2011-12-03T07:01:00.001-06:00

R. M. Davis has finished the book of Matthew in the New Matthew Bible. You can download it here.

New Bible?

2011-12-03T06:13:00.001-06:00

A new Bible has been announced here. And that is all I know so far! The website tells very little about the new Bible.

Expanded Bible

2011-11-24T07:11:00.001-06:00

I received a complimentary copy of the Expanded Bible in Kindle format from Thomas Nelson publishers. This gift did not affect my review in any way.

When I requested the Bible from Thomas Nelson's "Booksneeze" program the title read "Expanded Bible: NKJV." What I got was just the Expanded Bible. It turns out it was an error in the listing. So if you see an Expanded Bible listed as NKJV, don't believe it.

I find trying to use a Bible on the Kindle for reference work very frustrating. One problem that the publisher added was in the way the bracketed notes are categorized. Many of the notes begin with a superscript letter indicating the type. For instance a literal rendering starts with ^L while a traditional rendering starts with ^T. Unfortunately, on the Kindle these do not appear enough above the line to be noticeable. Thus the notes end up looking like: [Lbook] or [Tbegot]. Footnotes and cross references, however, worked fairly easily. I moved the cursor to a footnote, clicked on it, read it, then pushed "BACK" and was right back where I left off. Overall, I found the formatting for the Kindle was well done. Links are provided for jumping to a verse. It is the nature of books on e-readers that makes it awkward to use.

The Expanded Bible is much like the Amplified Bible in its format. Except for the format, though, it does not appear that there is any direct relationship between the two versions.

The Expanded Bible is a revision of the New Century Version. As such, it inherited some of that version's characteristics. One of these is the use of gender neutral language. For instance, Matthew 4:4 reads "...A person lives not on bread alone..." The NCV is intended to be easier to read. This may appeal to some who struggle with reading.

I certainly would not choose this for a daily reading Bible. But it is interesting to read a few passages and see variants of certain words or phrases. The expansions are marked to show if they are an alternate rendering, a literal rendering, a traditional rendering, a comment or an expansion. This is very helpful for study and keeps one from jumping about to different resources. The idea of combining an "easy to read" text with the complications of parenthetical notes (or bracketed expansions) seems strange. I believe the work would have been better combined with a more accurate version.

Overall, I found the Expanded Bible to be an interesting idea. It is somewhat soured for me by the use of the New Century Version text.

Expanded Bible, Kindle Expanded Bible, Hardcover

The Poems of Jesus Christ

2011-11-18T06:55:00.001-06:00

After a couple posts by Theophrastus led me to the blog, BLT - Not Just a Sandwich I discovered another work worth mentioning here. (Thanks, Theophrastus, that's three posts you've given me this morning).

In April W. W. Norton will publish The Poems of Jesus Christ by Willis Barnstone. Jesus' words will be presented in poetic format. It isn't stated but it may be that this will use the text from Barnstone's Restored New Testament.

The Poems of Jesus Christ

Old Testament for Everyone - Update

2011-11-18T06:43:00.001-06:00

Again, Theophrastus posted an important comment that deserves mentioning here. I had posted about the Old Testament for Everyone series. It is the follow up to N. T. Wright's New Testament for Everyone series. Theophrastus said that it is not a complete translation - it only has excerpts.

Publisher Changes

2011-11-18T06:24:00.001-06:00

Theophrastus left a comment that should be made a regular post. Recently Harper Collins purchased Thomas Nelson. The point was made that "This will give HarperCollins three Bible publishing imprints: Zondervan (NIV etc.), Thomas Nelson (NKJV etc.), and HarperOne (NRSV etc.)"

Also, I read that InterVarsity Press is going to purchase Biblica Books. However, they will be purchasing the book publisher, not the Bible publisher.

I don't follow the corporate world much, but expect these changes may have some impact on the Bibles produced. I tend to forget about the business aspects of Bible publishing. Thank you, Theophrastus and Louis for the information and reminder!

Review of the Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition

2011-11-17T07:33:00.001-06:00

I will not comment on Jefferson's editing of the Bible, only on the Smithsonian's work in producing this facsimile. This review is for the The Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. Just note, if you haven't heard the history, that Jefferson did select, cut out and paste verses from other Bibles to form his work.

The book comes with a thick plastic dustcover with the title and Jefferson's picture on it. If you remove the plastic, the book underneath looks exactly like Jefferson's original volume. It almost feels like a leather cover. It is neat to imagine I am holding his actual bound volume in my hand.

The first part of this work has the history of Jefferson's Bible and the conservation efforts taken to preserve it. Full color pictures show key figures in the story, part of the conservation work and even one original Bible that Jefferson used to cut out the passages. The conservation effort section was especially interesting. It highlighted several difficulties Jefferson's work presented. Many different papers are in it since he glued from several books onto yet another type of paper. Two different adhesives were used. And several different formulations of ink were used as well.

The second part of the book is, of course, Jefferson's Bible. It is a high resolution, exact facsimile. It was photographed while disbound for restoration. I expected glossy, full color pictures of each page. And they are full color. But the paper used makes it look like you are seeing the original. In my opinion it is better than a glossy photograph would be. The foldout maps, his marginal notes and even his hand written table of contents are all included.

On page 56 I thought I found a mistake. A rectangle of paper was glued down in mine that did not match the original online. It didn't open out. Later I tried again and discovered it was a flap, just stuck. A little extra pull and it opened up. It exactly matches the flap that Jefferson glued onto his original, including where the ink stuck to the page margin behind it!

I have two other editions of the Jefferson Bible. The first was published by Wilford Funk in 1940. It simply re-typeset Jefferson's Bible in paragraph format with no indication of where he cut and pasted. This probably helps present what Jefferson intended but loses all the history of his work. The second edition I have was published in 1964 by Clarkson N. Potter. It has re-typeset text with marginal notes to show where in the gospels each passage is found. It is followed by a black and white facsimile. It is readable, but nowhere near as clear as this recent publication. The technology was not available then to do what has been done now. The Smithsonian edition far outshines these two.

I am impressed with all the work that went into preserving the original and reproducing this facsimile for us. I hope those behind this work will produce other facsimiles. I believe this is well worth the price and recommend getting a copy now while they are available!

The Jefferson Bible

Alphabetical Bible

2011-11-15T05:51:00.001-06:00

While it isn't a new version, the Alphabetical Bible: A Beginner's Bible is an interesting edition. It appears to be the King James version but with a new arrangement: The books of the Bible are arranged in alphabetical order. Quick - quiz yourself! What would be first and which one would be last? Hint: A historical book and a prophetic book... This work is by Jason Johnson though the cover bears the pseudonym "Kr@zy J." This edition was ordered this way to make finding a particular book quicker.

Alphabetical Bible
(answer: Acts, Zephaniah)

The Power New Testament / One New Man Bible

2011-11-14T07:03:00.001-06:00

The Power New Testament is now in its fourth edition. Also being published this year is the One New Man Bible. This includes the Power New Testament (revised from the third edition) along with an OT which is a revision of "a public domain English translation." I do not know if the 4th edition NT and the NT of the "One New Man Bible" are the same.

Thomas Jefferson's Bible

2011-11-12T11:28:00.001-06:00

Thomas Jefferson created his own "version" of the Bible by literally cutting and pasting parts he wanted. This volume was purchased by the Smithsonian from his great-granddaughter in 1895. Recently, it was restored to help reverse deterioration and preserve it for the future. While it was disbound, it was scanned. Those images were used by the Smithsonian to produce a color facsimile! You can read more of the history of Jefferson's work at the Smithsonian. You can view the actual scan of the book there as well. While they also have a print facsimile available, Amazon.com has a better price.

Amazon.com

ESV Changes in 2011

2011-11-12T06:10:00.001-06:00

The English Standard Version will be changed in editions printed starting this year. I first read about this at Baker Book House Connection. The changes are discussed on the ESV Frequently Asked Questions page. A full list of the changes is here. Unfortunately that this is one of those simulated books with turnable pages. There is no easy download of it that I can see. The FAQ states that "Most changes to the ESV text were made to correct grammar, improve consistency, or increase precision in meaning." It appears that the updated text is available online at www.esvbible.org.

Aitken New Testament up for sale

2011-11-11T06:38:00.001-06:00

I just read in the Huffington Post that a copy of Robert Aitken's 1777 edition of the New Testament is coming up for auction on November 29th. It is being offered by Bloomsbury Auctions in London. Get your checkbook ready - it is expected to bring a price of £100,000 – £150,000 which is about $159,140 to $238,710. According to the Huffington Post there are only two other copies known. One is owned by the Philadelphia Historical Society and the other by the New York Public Library. Send me pictures if you win this piece of history!

Etymological New Testament

2011-11-11T06:03:00.001-06:00

I ran across another new version this morning. This is called the Etymological New Testament: An ultra literal translation of the Bible. John Michael Wine based this work on the American Standard Version. He describes it as an "ultra literal (and occasionally poetic) rendering of the New Testament." You can read samples and additional details at his blog or preview and purchase it on Amazon.com in paperback or in a Kindle edition.

The Voice: New Testament, revised and updated

2011-11-08T13:07:00.001-06:00

The Voice New Testament. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4185-5076-9.

I received a complimentary copy of The Voice: New Testament from Thomas Nelson publishing. Their provision of this work does not influence my review either positively or negatively.

Well over a year and half ago I first reviewed The Voice: New Testament. When a copy was made available again, I wasn't inclined to request it. There is no indication on the cover or title page that this is a revised edition. However, the copyright page now shows at date of 2011. The listing on Amazon.com says that it is "revised and updated."

I decided to check my complaints of 2010 and see if they still appplied to the newest edition. While I could determine some changes that were made, other problems were still there.

One complaint I have is the deliberate insertion of "the voice" theme. I noted that this version adds and changes words to support that theme "Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God" John 1:1). I still wonder if the new translation yielded this theme or the translators changed their work to support their ideas.

Another troublesome passage was in 1 John 1:112 where it read "His own people, who have heard the voice before, rebuff this inner calling and refuse to listen." This has been changed in the 2011 edition to "Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him." The italics are used to indicate "that would have been obvious to the those originally addressed." However, it is obvious that the inserted words show passages where the translators ideas are inserted into the text. That is, ideas that do not come from the Greek New Testament. I certainly objected to the italicized portions, but also to the concept of "inner calling." I am pleased to see that both the italicized portions and the "inner calling" have been removed from the latest edition.

Many of the syncretistic passages have been removed from this latest edition. However, too much of the translators theology still shows through for me to be comfortable with this work.

One aspect I do like about this version is that way it was set up on the page. Conversations are arranged that way, with brown lettering indicating the speaker. It is interesting and helpful to see the New Testament presented as a script.

This remains a document of the emergent church movement, not a faithful rendering of the New Testament. I will not recommend it to anyone other than as a curiosity or an example of how theological bias clouds translation.

The Voice New Testament: Revised & Updated

Tyndale Reader's New Testament

2011-11-07T06:09:00.000-06:00

I've added a new item from the Bible Reader's Museum. This one is available on Amazon.com, through the Kindle Publishing program. It is a thoroughly edited, original spelling edition of William Tyndale's New Testament of 1534. The Tyndale Reader's New Testament has links to the chapters, but not verse numbers. Since Tyndale's work did not have verse numbers, this edition does not either. As time permits, other historical English Bibles will be produced in Kindle format as well.

Tyndale Reader's New Testament

World English Bible, British Edition

2011-11-04T03:28:00.000-05:00

The World English Bible is now available in a British Edition. There is a list of the changes available. There are now three official editions: The World English Bible, World English Bible, Messianic Edition and the latest World English Bible, British Edition. All three are still being edited.

Digital American Standard Version

2011-11-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

The Digital American Standard Version is now finished. It is a contemporary English version built off of the American Standard Version. It is copyrighted, but only to prevent anyone from modifying it and locking it into a copyright. The reviser grants permission for anyone to use this version so long as the contents are not changed. Each book is provided in .docx for word processing, .pdf for printing and .html for web access. There are also audio readings of the DASV and even songs from select scriptures.

God's Word Translation for Kindle

2011-11-01T14:48:00.001-05:00

Amazon has Holy Bible, GOD'S WORD Translation available free for the Kindle.

Old Testament for Everyone

2011-11-01T07:27:00.000-05:00

Many of you are probably familiar with the New Testament for Everyone by N. T. Wright. I just noticed that Westminster John Knox Press has started the Old Testament for Everyone series. This is being written by John Goldingay. So far I've found Genesis for Everyone: Chapters 1-16, Genesis for Everyone: Chapters 17-50, Exodus and Leviticus for Everyone, Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth for Everyone, 1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone, 1 and 2 Kings for Everyone and 1 and 2 Chronicles for Everyone. W/JK Press has an interview with Goldingay online here.

Critical Emphatic Paraphrase of the New Testament

2011-11-01T06:50:00.000-05:00

If you've never read Vincent Price's Critical Emphatic Paraphrase of the New Testament, you are not alone. Only 120 copies of the first edition were produced. It was "published" on a spirit process duplicator. Does anyone know what that was? Was it that big round metal drum with those awful smelling chemicals?

The Bible Museum in Michigan loaned a copy to Richard Estes who re-published this rare New Testament. Richard scanned the pages, ran them through an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process and then edited the resulting text. I browsed a copy at the the recent convention of the International Society of Bible Collectors. It appears very well done. Since it is re-typeset the text is much clearer than a picture of the original.

It is a bit pricey, but I have not seen any copy available before this. It is available through Lulu.com in hardback for $85 or in paperback for $60.

Links Update

2011-10-20T09:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks to RT for slogging through dozens of links and finding many bad ones. I've updated with the Bible Museum links page with the corrections. Thank you, RT!

Two Important Bibles

2011-10-18T08:23:00.000-05:00

Two important Bibles were uploaded recently to the Internet Archive. The first is a 1568 Bishops' Bible in the collection of Princeton Theological Seminary. The second one is a 1540 Great Bible. Both of these are scans of the actual pages of those originals.

The best page for reading both transcribed texts and scans of actual pages of historical English Bibles is Bibles of the Past. He has just added a link for scans of a Wycliffe Bible! (That's where I got the link I added to my links page on the Bible Reader's Museum.)

Adobe Reader for iPad / GoodReader

2011-10-18T06:40:00.000-05:00

For those of you trying to read Bibles or books on your iPad there is now another option. Adobe has released a free acrobat reader for the iPad. I found out about it on the App Shopper website. There is an excellent description of the program there. I was able to open PDFs I had been reading in GoodReader using the "Open In" feature. I need to test it with some of the PDFs that crashed other readers. Oh, yes, the reader is available for the iPhone as well.

I will probably continue to use GoodReader. It is my favorite application on the iPad hands down. It reads pdf, html, txt, doc, images, audio and video. It has an easy to use transfer utility built right in (no cable needed). It can also sync with online file storage. Annotations are easy - including writing or drawing freehand. I am using it to edit the new version of my book, "The Encyclopedia of English Bible Versions."

New Bible Reading Site

2011-10-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

I received a great link this morning (thanks, RT). This site has Bibles in many different languages. It also has 110 Bibles, Old Testaments and New Testaments in English. I've added the English versions to The Bible Reader's Museum links page.

Good News Bible

2011-10-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

The Good News Bible has been released as an app for the iPhone and iPad. Visit www.goodnewsbible.com for information or search Good News Bible in the app store to get a free version (there is also a paid version with more features). The app appears to have been made for children. It has some neat interactive features such as a timeline, quizzes and a who's who.

The Voice Bible

2011-10-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

According to an ad in the back of The Voice New Testament: Revised & Updated the full Bible is due to be released in April of 2012. It is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Heroes and Villains of the Bible

2011-10-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

Heroes and Villains of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011. ISBN 978-1400316854.

The Bible text included in this book is from the International Children's Bible (ICB), a close relative of the New Century Version. It is very simple to read. I was surprised how much of the text was included. This is more of a selection of Bible texts with pictures that a story book. The ICB is not suitable for Bible study or adult reading. But since this is just selection of stories it should not be a problem.

The book consists of 50 Bible passages with devotional material. There are 16 Old Testament heroes, 9 Old Testament villains, 17 New Testament heroes and 8 New Testament villains.

At least one of the pictures could be considered borderline by some. There is a picture of Eve being tempted by the serpent. While it is not revealing, it is one of those that stops just short of being so. The picture of Daniel in the lions den has an amusing feature. It appears that Daniel and the male lion are looking at something together. The pictures are computer generated or designed. They do not look cartoonish, but almost like a real photo.

I would have like more insights and lessons along with the Biblical text. The extra material is very brief. It is a short devotional to accompany the text, not an actual study. But I was looking for a book to use in children's Bible study classes. This is obviously for a child's personal reading.

By picking out some of the heroic (and villainous) figures this might help capture the interest of children. It could be a good introduction to reading a full Bible. I plan to share this with some youngsters at church to see what they think about it.

I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes. This did not affect my review in any way.

Heroes and Villains of the Bible

Revised Douay-Rheims Bible ('you' version)

2011-10-08T15:21:00.000-05:00

It looks like Msgr. Cormac Burke finished his Knox Bible ('you' version). Now he has started another project. It is a modernized version of the Douay Rheims Bible. As with his earlier project, he is changing mostly just the "thou"s and the resulting verb forms. It is called the Revised Douay Rheims Bible ('you' version).

The Expanded Bible

2011-10-07T06:52:00.000-05:00

The Expanded Bible has been released. This is the entire Bible (the New Testament was published earlier).

The Brick Bible

2011-10-07T06:47:00.000-05:00

The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament has been released. This is the retelling of Bible stories use Lego bricks for illustrations. Some of the illustrations/text may be offensive. Many of the stories can be viewed online.

The Voice New Testament

2011-10-07T06:43:00.000-05:00

The revised, updated version of the The Voice New Testament has been released. My copy is on its way to me, so I don't know what changes were made yet.

Christian Zombie Killer's Handbook

2011-10-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

Jeff Kinley. The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook: Slaying the Living Dead Within. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011. ISBN 978-1-5955-5438-3.

I'm not sure if I thought I needed something for Halloween or why exactly I picked this book for a review. I was given a complimentary copy of this by Thomas Nelson for providing a review. Their gift does not affect my review in any way.

I found the author's approach and honestly to the problem of sin to be refreshing. It isn't an easy thing to read because sin is not a delightful topic. But it is a very serious problem that the author deals with very clearly. His descriptions of various aspects of sin and salvation are wonderful. He describes the awareness of the devil as detecting "An invisible stench in the space we occupy." I would gladly listen to sermons by Kinley if he is a preacher.

The sections on the problem of sin and the solution of salvation are interspersed with a fictional story about a protagonist named Ben. Ben (and his friends) are dealing with a plague of zombies. The story is very graphic at times - not something I would normally read at all. Reading this part of the book threw me so off the book that I really didn't want to finish it.

Of course, the author ties it all together in the end. The tie didn't work for me. However, I am certain I am not the intended audience for this book. For those who like the horror genre and are unwilling to read other Christian works, this might be a good fit. Certainly I think the Gospel is presented well. If the zombie story draws them in and gets them to hear the message it may be worthwhile. Because of the graphic nature of the zombie parts I will not recommend it to my parishioners.

The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook

Current Sales

2011-10-04T14:41:00.000-05:00

Lulu.com is running a brief sale again. This affects everything in the Museum Store. For 15% off your order use the code TANGO at checkout time. If your order is $200 or more, use the code DANCE for 20% off. This offer is good until October 7th, 2011.

The Names of God Bible

2011-10-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

This is a new version based on the God's Word Translation. The changes are to provide the transliteration of God's name and Jesus' name throughout the Bible. The names are written in brown ink to make them stand out. It is from Baker Publishing Group (this link includes a video from the editor, Ann Spangler) and Revell. It is available on Amazon. There is a sample on ChristianBook.com which shows how the names are incorporated into the text. There is also a sample chapter in PDF for download at Ann Spangler's website.

Tyndale21 New Testament

2011-10-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

I found another new project today. It is called the Tyndale21 New Testament. It is a modernized version of Tyndale's New Testament. The website describes the process this way:

Not merely a simple word-for-word substitution, this is a re-visioning of the Bible as if Tyndale's version was newly discovered and put into today's English.

So far the Gospels and shorter letters are finished. A PDF of the Gospels is available for $2.99 (USD). Samples of the first five chapters of each book are available for free.

Poetic Psalms Translations

2011-09-24T05:44:00.001-05:00

There are some poetic translations of the Psalms being posted at the Better Bibles Blog. The translation is by Dr. Brenda Boerger.

Computer Bible Formats

2011-09-23T06:58:00.001-05:00

There are many different readers available now for the PC/Windows format. I find that I cannot always get Bibles in a format that I prefer. As a result, I end up needing several different readers.

Some e-books will have DRM - Digital Rights Management. Those have embedded information limiting their usage to the your registered device. I won't attempt to go into the details, but the different software and hardware readers will let you know if you try to open a DRM e-book on an unregistered device/application.

Here are a few of the formats I've found and associated readers:

PDF - Adobe PDF format is very popular. Their reader is a free download. For other systems such as Mac, Solaris, Linux, and Android click here
MOBI - Kindle Reader as well as others. Click here for their free reading apps for iPhone, Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry, iPad, Android and Windows Phone 7.
DJVU is a format that isn't widely used. However, I have found a few Bibles in this format. To view it (and convert to other formats), try the DjVuLibre program. It is free and available for several different systems.
EPUB becoming much more common. One way to read it is with Adobe Digital Editions. When I purchased e-books from Borders they were in Adobe DRM Epub and PDF. Both of those were readable with Adobe Digital Editions. There are many devices and program to read e-pub format. I read them on my iPad using iBooks (a free application) if they are non-DRM.
Online readers are becoming more common as well:
- Christian Book Distributors has an online reader that allows reading of e-books (including some free ones) purchased at CBD.
- Amazon.com now has the Kindle Cloud Reader.

Original Thought Sacred Scriptures

2011-09-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

I think the correct title for this project is "The- Phayshe'ool't-TargumTrans-Literation and Restoration Project". In one file the translation is called "The- Original-Thought Sacred Scriptures" and in another it is referred to as The -1611 King James Version Corrected Version. A sample of the translation will give you a hint of its nature:

At the-first-instant of the-Darkness, there appeared, the-great-t’symbol-of-Lyghte, as a-roaring, Flaming-T’Sword of Fire. Now this, Royal-flaming t’Sword is with, Yahvehe’t, Ælovehe-God, and the-Royal-flaming-t’Sword is found within the-Æloveheim. This identical-Principle is from the-very-beginning and is always found within the-Æloveheim. All things are then made by Her; and without Her, there is nothing (John 1:1-3).

The Easy Study Bible

2011-09-21T05:47:00.000-05:00

This is a new translation still in the works. It is the work of Trennis Killian. So far he has finished up to 2 Corinthians. Visit his website for more information. There is a free download of the book of James to give you a sample of his work.

The Disciples' Literal New Testament

2011-09-21T05:41:00.000-05:00

I just ran across a new version of the New Testament early this morning. It is by Michael Magill, the creator of the New Testament Transline. I first read about it in an article on the Cypress Times. You can download PDFs of the NT at Reyma Publishing. Reyma also has PDFs of the New Testament Transline. Amazon.com has it available in hardcover or in paperback. By the way, remember how expensive the New Testament Transline got for a while? It is back in print again. Amazon has the paperback for $100. There are also some third party vendors with good deals on the hardcover.

Savings Code for Museum Store

2011-09-19T17:47:00.000-05:00

Visit my Bible Museum Store for facsimiles of historic English Bibles and save money from now to September 23rd. The code to use at check out is OKTOBERFEST for 15% off your order up to $200. I don't know why Lulu.com chose that word for September, but we'll take the discount, right?

The Messianic Writings

2011-09-19T08:16:00.000-05:00

This is another sacred name version. It is called The Messianic Writings. The author, Daniel Gruber, has a main website for his other writings and work called ElijahNet.

"New New Testament"

2011-09-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

Here is a new "version" that you may find offensive. Please be warned before you visit the New New Testament.

Some works I hesitate to even classify as a Bible. This is one of those. It is not a new translation, it is a complete rewrite that presents some new age kind of doctrine. One of my favorite verses is John 14:6. This "New New Testament" renders that as:

Jesus said, "As I am you already are. No one reaches their Divinity without knowing their Identity. (copyright 2011. New New Testament Group. All rights reserved.)

Compare that to the King James Version:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The website did not work properly for me in either Internet Explorer or in Firefox. It appears that the image is too small and the text is white. Wherever it runs over the image it is white text on a white background. Try selecting all the text on the page with the mouse and you should be able to read it.

September Sale

2011-09-06T06:40:00.000-05:00

From now through September 9th, save 20% on items from the Museum Store. This sale is from my publisher, Lulu.com. Use the code SEPTEMBER at checkout.

Bible Across America

2011-09-05T06:09:00.000-05:00

You may remember the recent project called Bible Across America. Zondervan Publishers had an RV travel all across the United States getting people to hand write a verse from the New International Version of the Bible. All those handwritten verses were combined into a Bible and published. It is available on Amazon.com. I had a hard time finding any samples or images of the actual pages. If you click on "Buy Now" on the Bible Across America website, there is one picture of a page at the bottom.

ISBC Annual Meeting

2011-09-02T07:07:00.000-05:00

The annual meeting of the International Society of Bible Collectors will be held in conjunction with a conference at Dunham Bible Museum. The conference is KJV@400: A Story of Biblical Proportions. The following information is taken from the July - September 2011 issue of the Bible Editions and Versions journal:

Place: Dunham Bible Museum at Houston Baptist University, 7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX 77074

Date: October 28-29, 2011

Speakers:
Donald Brake (Dean Emeritus, Multnomah Seminary)
Gerald Bray (Beeson Divinity School)
Leonard Greenspoon (Creighton University)
David Jeffrey (Baylor University)
Timothy Larsen (Wheaton)
Liana Lupas (American Bible Society)
Leland Ryken (Wheaton)
Robert Sloan (Houston Baptist University)

Hotel: The Crowne Plaza (9090 SW Freeway Houston TX 77074 (713) 995-0123) has a special rat of $89 for those mentioning the KJV@400 conference at Houston Baptist University. They also have a complimentary shuttle to the conference.

Other nearby hotels include:

LaQuinta: 6790 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 (713-784-3838)
Hilton: 6780 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 (713-977-7911)
Holiday Inn Express: 6687 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 (713-776-2633)

Cost: $110 (includes lunch and dinner for both days; $85 for students and clergy

Registration information: www.hbu.edu/biblemuseum

Bible Research

2011-09-01T07:33:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you have seen Michael Marlowe's excellent Bible Research website. But I just noticed this morning that he also has a blog. There are several articles this month with review/analysis of new English Bibles. He also uses it to announce new additions to his main website. Both the web site and the blog are excellent resources for the study of the English Bible.

Source View Bible

2011-08-31T07:04:00.000-05:00

The Source View Bible is not a new translation. It is a reformatting of the New Living Translation. It was "developed by David Joel Hamilton, International Vice President for Strategic Innovation, YWAM (Youth With A Mission) at the University of the Nations, Kona, HI." By setting paragraphs apart and using different colored text this Bible makes it clear who is speaking. Subtitles on the left indicate the speaker of each paragraph as well. Click on "Preview" - on the right side of the page is a download of the book of Jonah. Overall the layout looks like a colorized play script.

The Gospels

2011-08-20T17:13:00.000-05:00

Today's entry is not a new version of the Gospels, but a new layout. It is an edition of the World English Bible done by Chad Whitacre. It is designed for readability and ease of access. There is an extensive review of this edition at The Bible Design and Binding Blog or you can visit Chad Whitacre's site for a PDF download and purchases in print.

The New European Version

2011-08-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

Today's new version of the Bible is called the New European Version. It is, according to the website, a "remediation into modern English of the New Testament as found in the KJV and ASV." In some difficult or controversial areas, a new translation is provided. Downloads are available in PDF format.

Billy Graham in Quotes

2011-08-17T10:29:00.001-05:00

Graham, Franklin. Billy Graham in Quotes. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8499-4649-3.
I've always learned a lot from Billy Graham's writings. This book gives a topical approach to hundreds of short quotations from his teachings. There are quotes from his many books such as The Holy Spirit, Till Armageddon and many more. There are also quotes from Decision magazine and books by other authors containing quotes from Graham.
Topics include things such as Repentance, Conscience, Addiction, Conversion and many more. There are about 107 different topics covered in this book. The quotations range from very short ones ("The central message of the Bible is Jesus Christ.") to those consisting of 6 to 8 lines.
This book can serve as a devotional by just reading a topic or even just a few quotes each day. It can also be helpful when preaching a topical sermon. It also serves as a peek into Graham's longer writings. If a quote piques one's interest, the endnotes will point the reader to the source.
I find I use this more for a reference - looking up a particular topic for a good quotation or to point me to Graham's works where a topic is discussed in more detail. I would not read straight through this work. This would be a good addition to a church library.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers. This has not affected my review in any way.

Billy Graham in Quotes

Tree of Life Bible

2011-08-16T15:58:00.001-05:00

And there's another one!This one is called the Tree of Life Bible. The New Testament is available on Amazon.com in hardback or you can get the paperback book of John. The book of John takes 1-3 weeks to ship from Amazon.com right now. This is a Messianic Jewish family Bible. The Old Testament is expected in 2013. The New testament is translated from the Nestle Aland 27th edition of the Greek and uses "Yeshua" for "Jesus." Learn more and view a sample at mjcbp.org.

Codex Sinaiticus, Facsimile Edition

2011-08-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

While this blog is for English Bibles, I do occasionally come across other language Bibles that deserve mention here. One such Bible is the new facsimile of the Codex Sinaiticus from Hendrickson. It is 828 pages long, 13.5 inches wide by 16.5 inches tall. I am not fortunate enough to be able to afford one yet, as the retail price on this is $799. I noticed in recently in the catalog of Christian Book Distributors for $499. You can see it online at their website.Unfortunately, Amazon.com has it at a much higher price of $639.20. There is a review on Amazon.com by author David deSilva. However, even at $640, it is cheap compared the the Codex Vaticanus B available online.I'd love to hear from any of you that own a copy or have had access to one.

Two Day Sale at the Museum Store

2011-08-11T09:07:00.000-05:00

Lulu.com has a sale going on which means savings on Bibles and books at the Museum Store. It is only good for today and tomorrow though. Use the code SINK to get 20% off your order up to $100 off. If your order is $500 or more, use the code SWIM to get 25% off.

New American Bible, Revised Edition

2011-08-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

The New American Bible, Revised Edition is available online now. Thanks to Catholic Bibles for the tip!

The Truth New Testament?

2011-08-07T08:20:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have the Truth New Testament by Colin Urquhart? If so, could you please send me John 14:6 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

The Kingdom New Testament

2011-08-07T07:43:00.001-05:00

The Kingdom New Testament by N. T. Wright has been announced on HarperCollins website. It is due to be released on October 25th. It will be available in hardback or e-book. It is available for pre-order from Amazon.com. From the HarperCollins ad:

From the man Newsweek called “the world’s leading New Testament Scholar,” N. T. Wright, comes a fresh, vivid translation of the New Testament. This is The Message for a new generation. Not in centuries has such a powerful new translation of the Scriptures arisen for Christians everywhere, changing the way the entire English-speaking world can access the books of the New Testament. Wright seems to do the impossible, at once achieving a closer match to the Scripture’s original Greek, invoking more appropriately gender-neutral terminology, and providing a more natural, readable tone to the readings—even while magnifying the vibrancy and urgency of the original works. For Christians worldwide, this stunning new translation of the New Testament from the author of Simply Christian and Scripture and the Authority of God is a crucial way to re-claim the message of the Bible.

Bible Software for iPad

2011-08-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

There are so many different Bible applications for the iPad that I don't hope to even list them all. I certainly won't be trying all of them. One I am trying out right now is called "YouVersion". It can be used on the web or on many different devices. There are apps for the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android, Windows Phone, HP Web OS, Java, Symbian and Mobile Web. One can read the ASV, AMP, CEB, CEV, CPDV, Douay, ESV, GNT (with or without deuterocanonicals), GWT, HCSB, KJV, LEB, MSG, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NIV (1984), NIV-UK, NLT, OJB, TNIV and WEB. Many of these are available to download for offline use. All the above versions are available whenever your device has web access (3G, Wifi, etc). The NIV, NIV 1984, NLT and TNIV can only be used online.

I tend toward pretty basic Bible use. I want to be able to look up a passage and read through whole books easily. I don't usually use the notes or book mark features. My goal with devices and their apps is that I can carry more versions than I could in paper. I use the iPad to supplement, not replace, my paper Bible. If I cannot quickly get to a verse in a particular application then I won't use it.

Reading straight through is fairly easy. Tapping left and right arrows on the screen move from one chapter to the next (and back). Swiping the screen up and down moves through the chapter itself. Jumping to a verse is easy as well. One tap brings up a scrolling list of books. Tap the book and a nice large chapter matrix appears. Tap the chapter and the verse matrix appears. Tap the verse and you're there. I found the larger numbers helped my clumsy fingers.

I should add that right now I am only downloading/using free Bible applications. YouVersion is free to use. Registration is required to download versions and is also free.

Illustrated Bible for iPad

2011-08-01T08:13:00.000-05:00

I've recently added an iPad to my bag of tools. In looking at different Bibles for this platform, I'll be sharing what I find from time to time. This morning I found a free sample (the book of John) of the Illustrated Bible. This is an app, not a e-book or PDF. If you have web access, you can view many more samples of the Illustrated Bible at the Illustrated Bible website.

Win a Haydock Bible Set!

2011-07-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

The blog Catholic Bibles is giving away a two volume set of the Haydock Bible. Click this link to visit his blog and see the details.

Rheims/Vulgate New Testament

2011-07-22T19:03:00.000-05:00

I just noticed a new addition to the Internet Archive. It is a parallel New Testament containing the Rheims New Testament and the Vulgate Latin. Visit The Vulgate New Testament : with the Douay version of 1582 in parallel columns (1872) to read it online or download a PDF.

Bibleartbooks

2011-07-21T21:55:00.000-05:00

There is some interesting work going on at Bibleartbooks.com. As the home page states, their purpose is:

Bibleartbooks is a Christian arts ministry whose purpose is to bring people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, through the use of comic books, art and stories.

Click on Publications, then books or digital books to view some of his illustrated Bible stories.

New NIV Study Bible

2011-07-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Catholic Bibles for this link to a sample of the new NIV Study Bible.

Two Interesting Notes

2011-07-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a much needed vacation. I've got a couple interesting items to share today. The first is a title page of a 1532 Tyndale New Testament. I won't steal any thunder from Bibles of the Past who was the one who first showed it to me. Visit his site for a scan of the page, information about it and a link to a biography where this edition is mentioned.

The other concerns the Christian Community Bible. It has been through many editions. The copy I have is the seventeenth edition. But the Internet Bible Catalog recently posted samples of the 1st and 2nd editions. Many differences in the texts show up in these samples.

Waterproof Bibles

2011-07-10T19:46:00.000-05:00

A visit to a local Christian book store turned up an interesting new Bible. It is the Waterproof Bible series from Bardin and Marsee Publishing. I've see similar Bibles before, but those were coil bound or folding New Testaments. These are full Bibles and are normally bound. Each is 5 7/8" by 8 3/4" in an 8 pt font. The pages are made of a synthetic plastic material that is indeed completely waterproof. According to the publisher, you can still write and underline on these pages!

The Bibles I've found on Amazon.com so far are:

There are also smaller editions containing just the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. These are 4 1/4" by 7" in a 7 point font. The editions available are:

Helen Spurrell's Old Testament Translation

2011-07-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

I can't remember who asked me about Helen Spurrell's Old Testament translation. But one has come up for sale on E-Bay. The seller has several other unique translations for sale as well.

UPDATE: This is not an original (Thanks, Pastor Stephen!) - it is a reprint. In an answer to a question, the seller stated, "This reprint, was a small run of copies, published by Penfold Book and Bible House and actually printed in Great Britain at the University Press, Oxford."

English Bible Version Explorer

2011-07-02T05:10:00.000-05:00

There is always something new and unusual popping up over at Bibliographic, a blog dedicated to "Bible Visualization and Analysis Tools and Techniques." The latest, English Bible Version Explorer, makes use of the links list from my site. He has processed the list of links and built them into an interactive graph and listing. The graph shows the number of Bibles by year and the listing shows the corresponding titles. You can click on the titles in the list to visit the websites of those versions.

One limitation I can see is that the data only shows those Bibles that have websites listed. Also, every Bible published is counted - so it isn't an accurate picture of how many distinct versions came out. These limitations are caused by the way my listing is put together. However, it is amazing to see how he has taken my simple listing and turned it into an interactive, visual application.

You'd do well to add BiblioGraphic to your list of blogs to watch. He is great at turning huge databases into fascinating and informative visual applications.

Recommended Bibles

2011-07-01T09:31:00.000-05:00

Some of the folks at church have asked what Bible they should get. I've added some lists of recommended Bibles on my website. There is also a page about Pocket, Purse and Personal sized Bibles. Another page lists daily reading (scheduled) Bibles. View the lists at the Bible Reader's Museum.

Bible Reader's Museum - Mobile Access

2011-06-30T15:57:00.000-05:00

I have created a simplified version of the Bible Reader's Museum Website. It has most of the features of the main site, but is optimized for mobile devices. I am currently reading it on my Kindle but the web store doesn't work on it.

Mobile Access to this Blog

2011-06-30T06:54:00.001-05:00

Blogger has implemented automatic mobile access to all blogs hosted here. Just add ?m=1 to the end of the URL. So for this blog the new URL is http://biblereadersmuseum.blogspot.com?m=1.

The Majority Bible

2011-06-29T19:32:00.000-05:00

The Majority Bible was created by combining 10 different translations to get a "majority" text. It is produced by a group calling itself "The Common Bible, Inc." Right now the Gospel and Epistles of John are ready to ship. From the website:

THE MAJORITY BIBLE, a unique modern English translation, merges or conflates the texts from 20 acclaimed English translations from the King James Version to the New International Version. Incorporating the majority rendering in text, grammar, syntax, and paragraphing, THE MAJORITY BIBLE can be likened to a super-Bible. Written in an easy-to-read modern formal style, it retains the character and familiarity of a traditional Bible. Why be frustrated and confused about selecting a Bible when a majority text represents the most accepted expression in twenty versions?

The Prophete Ionas

2011-06-29T08:22:00.000-05:00

I just found William Tyndale's translation of the Prophet Jonah on Project Gutenberg. It is available in epub, mobi, text and html. The transcriber has attempted to reproduce the text as accurately as possible. Rather than substitutions, we get the y^e, mīded, and other abbreviations as originally printed. I got the mobi version for my Kindle. It displays wonderfully - resizing the text works fine.

Instant Bible Collection

2011-06-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

Short on time and long on money? Then check out this E-bay auction for an entire Bible collection. There are Bibles from the 16 through the 20th centuries. It even includes a 1250 Latin Vulgate. There are over 2,300 Bibles in this collection. The price averages out at about $1,080 per Bible. I'll let you view the auction to see what that lump sump is you'll need to "buy-it-now"!

Thanks to Bill Chamberlin for telling me about this one!

The Most Amazing Song of All - The Passion Translation

2011-06-25T07:28:00.000-05:00

This is a new translation of the Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon. It was translated by Dr. Brian Simmons. Dr. Simmons worked about eight years as a Bible translator in Panama. This translation is available at the 5 Fold Media Store. It is also available on Amazon.com. Amazon also has a version for the Kindle. The 5Fold Media store describes the Passion Translation this way:

In this new Passion Translation^TM, the translator uses the language of the heart based on a passion for love to translate the book from Hebrew to English. While many translations overlook the story line of how Jesus makes His bride beautiful and holy by casting out her fear with perfect love, this unparalleled translation focuses on the anointed words of adoration of our Bridegroom for His radiant bride. This heaven-sent revelation is waiting to be received with all its intensity and power to unlock the deepest places of your heart.

Common English Bible for the Kindle

2011-06-24T21:10:00.000-05:00

A reader over at Catholic Bibles gave notice that the Kindle version of the Common English Bible is available now. You can get Bible with Apocrypha or without. The updated copy is supposed to have a linked table of contents. I haven't seen any reviews yet about the ease of use.

Remaining Scriptures need for my book

2011-06-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

I finally go time last night and early this morning to write a program to scan my versions database for needed Scripture quotes. Out of 513 main versions I only have 31 without at least one Scripture verse sample. This is due in part to many years of collecting Bibles. It is also due to many of you who have sent the Bible verses I needed. I would like to have at least one verse for every version. However, some are going to be very difficult - a few will be impossible (such as Henry Jessey's lost version). If you have time, please check my updated list of Scripture Requests.

Again, thank you to all of you who are sending in information!

Anthony Purver's Bible - a Quaker Bible?

2011-06-23T18:02:00.000-05:00

Were there any particular translations in Anthony Purver's New and Literal Translation of all the Books of the Old Testament and New Testament that show the influence of his Quaker beliefs? Or can you think of particular verses to check for such influences?

Word of YHVH

2011-06-22T20:58:00.001-05:00

Previously, this version was known as "The Word of Yahavah - KJV3." It is now titled "The Word of YHVH" and is being published into e-book format. Visit the Word of YHVH Bible for links and information.

The Brick Bible

2011-06-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

Brendan Smith is the creator of The Brick Testament (NOTE: Some material on his site and in his books is offensive). He is an atheist, but creates Bible stories illustrated with Legos. He has already released The Brick Testament: Stories from the Book of Genesis, The Brick Testament: The Ten Commandments and The Brick Testament: The Story of Christmas.

In October of this year The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament will be released. There isn't any indication what stories will be included, but it is only 240 pages.

The Voice New Testament: Revised and Updated

2011-06-22T20:38:00.000-05:00

It appears that November will be a busy month for new releases of the Bible. N. T. Wright's New Testament, the Expanded Bible and The Voice New Testament: Revised and Updated will all be released this winter.

The Expanded Bible

2011-06-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you have already heard about the Expanded Bible: New Testament. It is available on Amazon in either hardback or in a very inexpensive paperback.

The full Bible is due to be released in November of this year. It is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It will also be available in imitation and bonded leather formats.

The Arian Christian Bible

2011-06-22T19:43:00.000-05:00

I am not sure yet what to think about the The Arian Christian Bible. You can preview it on Amazon or on Google Books. It is translated by the Institute for Metaphysical Studies. Charles D. Levy is listed as the director but there is no mention of who actually translated this version.

The book of Matthew eliminates the genealogies in the beginning. The book of John is excluded completely. The preface states that the book of John is "a stone among diamonds." The IMS website states:

The 'Arian Christian Bible' reflects the beliefs of Arian Christians, which should not be confused with 'Aryan' race based doctrines. Arian Christians believe that Jesus' highest teachings are reflected in his words, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and the rejection of the politically imposed divinity of Jesus inspired by the Council of Nicaea which was convened by the Roman church and Emperor Constantine I, in 325 AD.

Please post comments if you get a chance to read through any of this version.

Two Free Portions of the Message Version

2011-06-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

Christian Book Distributors have two parts of the Message Bible by Eugene Peterson free in e-book format. It is in epub format - readable on many devices and computer reading programs. I converted it to mobi format for my Kindle using Calibre. Christian Book Distributors also has a book reader built in. Go to "My Account" then to "eBooks." You will see the e-books you have purchased. Each one should have a "Download" link as well as a "Read eBook" link.

I found out about this offer from Books on the Knob, an excellent place to find out about free e-books. Please note that site will lists many different kinds of books (some of which are offensive).

Pickering's New Testament Translation

2011-06-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

Wilbur Pickering's New Testament Translation is now complete. It is available for download on his site. Also available are miscellaneous comments on the the text as well as his New Majority Greek Text based on his "Original Text Theory."

Quaker Bible

2011-06-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

I have added the two volume "Quaker Bible" by Anthony Purver (1764) to the Bible Reader's Museum Store. The actual title of this Bible was "This is a facsimile reprint of Anthony Purver's "Quaker Bible" from 1764. The actual original title was "A NEW AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF ALL THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT; WITH NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY." Original copy was Herbert's number 1154.

Bible Difficulties

2011-06-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

Every student of the Bible knows (or should know) that some things in the Bible are hard to understand. One site that helps with this is the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry Bible Difficulties page.

The reason I mention the site here (other than being useful for Bible study) is for the purpose of finding changes in Bible versions. Some translators and revisers will change those difficult verses to help clarify the meaning. The list of "difficult" verse can help locate changes and sometimes identify translation biases.

New Facsimiles

2011-06-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

I've added some new facsimiles to the Bible Reader's Museum Store. New to the store are an Authorised NT (1611); George Joye's Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah and Jeremiah (1531-4); George Joye's Psalms (1530); George Joye's Daniel (1545); George Joye's NT (1534); Myles Coverdale's Goostly Psalmes (c1539) and Rychard Jugge's NT (1553). All are listed under Facsimile Bibles (actual copies of the originals).

New and Intersting Bibles and Versions Blog on Kindle Subscription

2011-06-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

This blog, New and Interesting Bibles and Versions is now available as a Kindle Subscription.

International Society of Bible Collectors Annual Meeting

2011-06-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

According to Bible Editions and Versions the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Bible Collectors will be held October 28-29, 2011. It will be at the Dunham Bible Museum at Houston Baptist University (7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX). I have not heard anything about hotel/motel arrangements. The ISBC web site is not updated much at all (member sites are not added, the home button doesn't work, etc), so only last year's conference is listed. But when I get more information I will post it here.

I attended last year's conference and had a wonderful time. There were several good talks given, interesting tours and a lot of great fellowship. There are usually some neat Bibles, leaves and books for sale as well. I look forward to going again this year. I hope to meet some of you that I've corresponded with via e-mail!

If you haven't joined the ISBC yet, go ahead and join now! Membership is just $30 USD per year. This included subscription to the journal, Bible Editions and Versions. If you purchase a lifetime membership for $500 you will receive a lifetime BEV subscription and several books on CD (I believe this includes Chamberlin's Catalogue of English Bible Translations). For full details, contact Mr. Ohlhausen, the membership director. You can find his contact information on the ISBC Contact Page.

Special Sales

2011-06-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

I have added several items to my Special Sales page. These are limited quantity items left from sales at church/Museum displays. All prices are below the normal cost via the museum store. I have added a copy of the Johannine Decapla, 2 copies of the Bible Version Encyclopedia, several copies of the Scripture Sample Book, 5 copies of God's Timeless Word, 5 copies of the Bible Lover's Puzzle Book, 10 display folders with King James Bible Leaves (1613-1650) and 3 leaf books with both a Geneva Bible Leaf and a King James Bible leaf. Visit the Special Sales page for details and ordering.

New Matthew Bible Update

2011-06-16T18:30:00.000-05:00

I just received an e-mail that 1 & 2 Thessalonians are now available at the New Matthew Bible Project. There is also a link to R. M. Davis' paper, "Tyndale’s Doctrine of Antichrist and His Translation of 2 Thessalonians 2."