Folger Finding Aid

Primary Resources for Manifold Greatness

During the first two centuries of printing in the West, the Christian Bible evolved from manuscript versions in its original languages of Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, and Jerome’s historic Latin Vulgate translation, to printed books in vernacular languages such as Dutch, German, English, and Spanish. In this revolutionary time, religious reformers articulated the need for the Bible to be translated into the languages of the people and set off on the demanding and dangerous task, regardless of the peril that it put them in.

The Folger Shakespeare Library houses a collection of primary resources that document these dynamic religious changes and record an evolution of Bible translations that led to the publication of the King James Bible in 1611.

The sections of this finding aid, accessible through the links at right, include selected primary materials from the Folger Shakespeare Library that relate to Bible translation and printing and to the creation and afterlife of the King James Bible. This finding aid is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather a starting point for researchers. Hamnet is the online catalog for the Folger collection as a whole.

For further information, please contact:

Steven K. Galbraith
Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Books
Folger Shakespeare Library
(202) 675-0356
Email: [email protected]