Changes

== History ==

== History ==

=== Tyndale's New Testament ===

=== Tyndale's New Testament ===

The [[Roman Catholic Church]] had spread throughout the territory that was once part of the Western [[Roman Empire]]. Yet the Church reserved for its own clergy the right to own the written text of the [[Bible]]--and no European monarch permitted any of his subjects actually to possess a copy of the Bible printed in any language other than [[Latin]].<ref name=Foster>Foster, Marshall. "The History and Impact of the Geneva Bible." ''1599 Geneva Bible'', ''op. cit.'', pp. xxiii to xxvi.</ref>

The [[Roman Catholic Church]] had spread throughout the territory that was once part of the Western [[Roman Empire]]. Yet the Church reserved for its own clergy the right to own the written text of the [[Bible]]—and no European monarch permitted any of his subjects actually to possess a copy of the Bible printed in any language other than [[Latin]].<ref name=Foster>Foster, Marshall. "The History and Impact of the Geneva Bible." ''1599 Geneva Bible'', ''op. cit.'', pp. xxiii to xxvi.</ref>

In 1526, [[William Tyndale]] began his first efforts to translate the Bible into [[English]]. For this defiance of the royal edicts then in force, the authorities pursued him. He fled to [[Germany]], where he met [[Martin Luther]], and from there to [[Belgium]]. There he produced a mechanically printed edition of the [[New Testament]], and his friends smuggled 6,000 copies of it into England. Authorities in Belgium hunted him, arrested him, and imprisoned him in Vilvoorde, and on March 6, 1536, he was executed.<ref name=Foster/>

In 1526, [[William Tyndale]] began his first efforts to translate the Bible into [[English]]. For this defiance of the royal edicts then in force, the authorities pursued him. He fled to [[Germany]], where he met [[Martin Luther]], and from there to [[Belgium]]. There he produced a mechanically printed edition of the [[New Testament]], and his friends smuggled 6,000 copies of it into England. Authorities in Belgium hunted him, arrested him, and imprisoned him in Vilvoorde, and on March 6, 1536, he was executed.<ref name=Foster/>

Tyndale's New Testament did not reach the common man in England. It did, however, influence the English clergy and might have been an impetus behind the Reformation in England.<ref name=Foster/> Significantly, [[Anne Boleyn]] was executed in the same year as was Tyndale--and subsequent to this, King [[Henry VIII]] began his sweeping purge of the monasteries in his realm.

Tyndale's New Testament did not reach the common man in England. It did, however, influence the English clergy and might have been an impetus behind the Reformation in England.<ref name=Foster/> Significantly, [[Anne Boleyn]] was executed in the same year as was Tyndale—and subsequent to this, King [[Henry VIII]] began his sweeping purge of the monasteries in his realm.

=== Bloody Mary ===

=== Bloody Mary ===

In 2003, L. L. Brown and Company published an edition of the 1599 Geneva Bible.<ref name=LLBrown>''The 1599 Geneva Bible''. Ozark, [[Missouri|MO]]: L. L. Brown Publishing, 2003. Cited in Preface, ''1599 Geneva Bible'', Tolle Lege Press, ''op. cit.'', pp. xix-xx.</ref> This edition included the [[Apocrypha]] and a metrical rendition of the Book of Psalms originally intended to encourage their recitation in church.

In 2003, L. L. Brown and Company published an edition of the 1599 Geneva Bible.<ref name=LLBrown>''The 1599 Geneva Bible''. Ozark, [[Missouri|MO]]: L. L. Brown Publishing, 2003. Cited in Preface, ''1599 Geneva Bible'', Tolle Lege Press, ''op. cit.'', pp. xix-xx.</ref> This edition included the [[Apocrypha]] and a metrical rendition of the Book of Psalms originally intended to encourage their recitation in church.

In January of 2004 a group of concerned American individuals and organizations formed the 1599 Geneva Bible Restoration Project to restore and republish the richly annotated 1599 edition. Seventeen organizations and 270 individuals and families contributed funds for the project.<ref name=partners>"1599 Geneva Bible Restoration Project," ''1599 Geneva Bible'', ''op. cit.'', pp. v to xvii.</ref> The Project acquired the rights to the L. L. Brown copy, but omitted the Apocrypha and metrical Psalms and sought as much as possible to authenticate the original text as printed in 1599. The Tolle Lege edition makes no attempt to "modernize" the text, other than to update some of the spelling. Instead of "translating" the many out-dated words, it includes a glossary intended more as a guide than as a hard-and-fast body of rules. The editors state in their front matter that they wished to deliver an edition as close in meaning to the original as practicable.

In January 2004 a group of concerned American individuals and organizations formed the 1599 Geneva Bible Restoration Project to restore and republish the richly annotated 1599 edition. Seventeen organizations and 270 individuals and families contributed funds for the project.<ref name=partners>"1599 Geneva Bible Restoration Project," ''1599 Geneva Bible'', ''op. cit.'', pp. v to xvii.</ref> The Project acquired the rights to the L. L. Brown copy, but omitted the Apocrypha and metrical Psalms and sought as much as possible to authenticate the original text as printed in 1599. The Tolle Lege edition makes no attempt to "modernize" the text, other than to update some of the spelling. Instead of "translating" the many out-dated words, it includes a glossary intended more as a guide than as a hard-and-fast body of rules. The editors state in their front matter that they wished to deliver an edition as close in meaning to the original as practicable.

== Review ==

== Review ==

==== Literalism ====

==== Literalism ====

The Geneva editors regarded their Bible as literal history. This included the history of [[creation]], the genealogy of the pre-[[Great Flood|Flood]] Patriarchs<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=5}}</ref>, and the full history and exact time-line of the ancient [[Judaism|Jews]]. Some of their notes beg explanation--for example, their counting of the "four hundred years" of oppression of the Israelites<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=15|verses=13}}</ref> as beginning with the birth of [[Isaac]] and not with the entry of [[Jacob]] into [[Egypt]]. This, however, is a minor quibble.

The Geneva editors regarded their Bible as literal history. This included the history of [[creation]], the genealogy of the pre-[[Great Flood|Flood]] Patriarchs,<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=5}}</ref> and the full history and exact time-line of the ancient [[Judaism|Jews]]. Some of their notes beg explanation—for example, their counting of the "four hundred years" of oppression of the Israelites<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=15|verses=13}}</ref> as beginning with the birth of [[Isaac]] and not with the entry of [[Jacob]] into [[Egypt]]. This, however, is a minor quibble.

==== Eschatology ====

==== Eschatology ====

==== Anti-Catholic sentiment ====

==== Anti-Catholic sentiment ====

The Geneva editors infused their notes with many attacks against the [[Roman Catholic Church]]--hardly a surprise considering the persecution in which the RCC, and Queen Mary I, were then engaging. The most striking attack against Rome is the handling of the prophecy of the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=11|verses=1-14}}</ref> The Bible says, of course, that two men prophesied for 1,260 days in the court of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]]. The Geneva notes say instead that the two witnesses stand for "ministers" of the Word of [[God]] that are ''outside'' of the RCC, and that the 1,260 days are actually 1,260 ''years'' that began with the Crucifixion (which they assumed had taken place in AD 33 or 34) and ended with the accession to the papacy of [[Pope]] [[Boniface VIII]] (r. 1294-1303). Boniface was famous for issuing a papal bull stating that, to be saved, every man had to be a member of the RCC--and the Geneva notes further accused Boniface of obtaining his office by fraud. The notes on other verses in Revelation go further: they identify the [[Roman Empire]] and the [[Roman Catholic Church]] with the Beast of {{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=13}}.<ref>The original [[Greek]] word is ''therion'', which means not merely a wild animal but a murdering and ravening one.</ref>

The Geneva editors infused their notes with many attacks against the [[Roman Catholic Church]]—hardly a surprise considering the persecution in which the RCC, and Queen Mary I, were then engaging. The most striking attack against Rome is the handling of the prophecy of the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=11|verses=1-14}}</ref> The Bible says, of course, that two men prophesied for 1,260 days in the court of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]]. The Geneva notes say instead that the two witnesses stand for "ministers" of the Word of [[God]] that are ''outside'' of the RCC, and that the 1,260 days are actually 1,260 ''years'' that began with the Crucifixion (which they assumed had taken place in AD 33 or 34) and ended with the accession to the papacy of [[Pope]] [[Boniface VIII]] (r. 1294-1303). Boniface was famous for issuing a papal bull stating that, to be saved, every man had to be a member of the RCC—and the Geneva notes further accused Boniface of obtaining his office by fraud. The notes on other verses in Revelation go further: they identify the [[Roman Empire]] and the [[Roman Catholic Church]] with the Beast of {{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=13}}.<ref>The original [[Greek]] word is ''therion'', which means not merely a wild animal but a murdering and ravening one.</ref>

==== Royal authority and its limits ====

==== Royal authority and its limits ====

The Geneva editors, in their notes, spoke of limits on royal authority, and this is probably why [[James I]] specifically ordered a translation of the Bible ''without'' annotation. He construed any limit on royal authority as a challenge to his own authority. For example, the note for {{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=1|verses=19|version=KJV}} says the following of the [[Hebrew]] midwives who disobeyed the Pharaoh in refusing to kill Hebrew boy-children at birth:<ref name=Ex119>''1599 Geneva Bible'', Tolle Lege Press, ''op. cit.'', p. 60</ref> {{Cquote|Their disobedience herein was lawful, but their dissembling evil.}} The very notion that the disobedience of a royal command might be a lawful act would be anathema to a king who believed that he ruled by divine right and answered only to [[God]] and not to any of his subjects.<ref name=Brown/> The footnote for {{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=1|verses=22|version=KJV}} would surely have been worse:{{Cquote|When tyrants cannot prevail by craft, they burst forth into open rage.}}

The Geneva editors, in their notes, spoke of limits on royal authority, and this is probably why [[James I]] specifically ordered a translation of the Bible ''without'' annotation. He construed any limit on royal authority as a challenge to his own authority. For example, the note for {{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=1|verses=19|version=KJV}} says the following of the [[Hebrew]] midwives who disobeyed the Pharaoh in refusing to kill Hebrew boy-children at birth:<ref name=Ex119>''1599 Geneva Bible'', Tolle Lege Press, ''op. cit.'', p. 60</ref> {{Cquote|Their disobedience herein was lawful, but their dissembling evil.}} The very notion that the disobedience of a royal command might be a lawful act would be anathema to a king who believed that he ruled by divine right and answered only to [[God]] and not to any of his subjects.<ref name=Brown/> The footnote for {{Bible ref|book=Exodus|chap=1|verses=22|version=KJV}} would surely have been worse:{{Cquote|When tyrants cannot prevail by craft, they burst forth into open rage.}}

The firm belief of the editors of the Tolle Lege edition is that these marginal notes were the catalyst not only for the furtherance (such as it was) of the reformation in England, but also, and more to the point, for the political revolutions in the English-speaking world<ref name=Foster/>--presumably beginning with the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 and continuing with the [[American Revolution]] of 1776-83. They hold this belief even though the Geneva Bible ceased printing in 1644, long before [[William and Mary]] and more than a century before the American Revolution. Brown<ref name=Brown/> points out that the [[Church of England]] retained all of the trappings and hierarchical structure of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], the chief difference being that the Archbishop of Canterbury answered no longer to the [[Pope]] of [[Rome]] but directly to the British crown.

The firm belief of the editors of the Tolle Lege edition is that these marginal notes were the catalyst not only for the furtherance (such as it was) of the reformation in England, but also, and more to the point, for the political revolutions in the English-speaking world<ref name=Foster/>—presumably beginning with the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 and continuing with the [[American Revolution]] of 1776-83. They hold this belief even though the Geneva Bible ceased printing in 1644, long before [[William and Mary]] and more than a century before the American Revolution. Brown<ref name=Brown/> points out that the [[Church of England]] retained all of the trappings and hierarchical structure of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], the chief difference being that the Archbishop of Canterbury answered no longer to the [[Pope]] of [[Rome]] but directly to the British crown.

== References ==

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

{{reflist|2}}

== External Links ==

== External links ==

* [http://www.genevabible.com Geneva Bible] (Company site)

* [http://www.genevabible.com Geneva Bible] (Company site)

* [http://www.tollelegepress.com/ Tolle Lege Press] (Company site)

* [http://www.tollelegepress.com/ Tolle Lege Press] (Company site)

* [http://www.genevabible.org/ Geneva Bible 1599] (Unofficial site)

* [http://www.genevabible.org/ Geneva Bible 1599] (Unofficial site)

== See Also ==

== See also ==

* [[King James Bible]]

* [[King James Bible]]

* [[Biblical chronology dispute]]

* [[Biblical chronology dispute]]