As the most widely read book in Western civilization, the Bible offers a variety of collecting possibilities. Many collectors pursue specific themes, including very old Bibles, family Bibles containing family trees, maps, or notes, and interesting translations.

The first complete English translation of the New Testament was published in 1526 by William Tyndale. In England, it was considered heresy and copies were destroyed. It wasn't until 1535 that the entire Bible - both Old and New Testaments - was published in English.

There are many different versions of the bible, depending on both the translator and the religious beliefs of the monarchy at the time it was published. The most collectible Bibl...

The first Bible to be published in America was the Eliot Bible, printed for the Natick Native American tribe in their own language in 1663. The first English-language Bible printed in America (a King James version) was published in 1782.

The King James Bible was first published in 1611, and in the late 1800s, the English Revised Version became the first Bible to gain popularity since the King James version. Also in the late 1800s, Bibles began to omit the 14 Apocryphal books (whereas previously all Bibles had 80 books, now they only contained 66).

Various factors influence the collectibility of Bibles; for example, first editions (first to be published in a specific language, first to be printed in a specific location, etc.), or copies signed by an important person.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Show & Tell

Grandma's Bible - Booksby marcoba…
in Books
very old Bible in Old French.Nice leather binding.Interesting piece... - Booksby Wild4deco
in Books
1854 Carlton Porter Authorized Holy Bible - John Fletcher - Booksby liventr…
in Books
See all bibles posts

Interviews & Articles

Bible Boxes Were Also Desks

"I must write rudely," stated Thomas Dudley of Massachusetts Bay colony in a letter to the Countess of Lincoln in the year 1631, "… [more]

To Catch A Thief: A Rare Book Expert on His Literary Obsessions

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t read books. In grade school, I devoured library books. I also loved comic books, and was whe… [more]

The Last Word on First Editions

Strictly speaking, a book’s edition refers to the setting of the text. So the first time you set the text and print a book with it… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

The Schoyen Collection

The Schoyen Collection

The Schøyen Collection is an extensive pool of manuscripts dating from 3300 BC to the 19th century. Of particular … [read review or visit site]

Google Book Search

Google Book Search

Want to do one quick search and pull up the mother lode of vintage books? Try Google Book Search, a database filled… [read review or visit site]

Bookscans.com

Bookscans.com

Bruce Black's gallery of paperback book covers from the 1940s and 50s. With help from numerous contributors, he's a… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations

Other Great Reference Sites

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 98 by  highest bidmost watchedcompleted
Rare Geneva-breeches Bible/early Edit./old & New Testament-title Page Dated 1585Holy Bible Civil War Carried Battle Gettysburg 1835 Arrison Keystone Battery1596 Life Jesus Christ Vita Christi Latin Woodcuts Fine Binding Bible Christian1650 Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs Gospel Bible Conversation Leather BindingThe Holy Bible English, King James Version/*1744/fine Original Leather Binding1512 Paris Post Incunable Of Raulin / Medieval Sermons Church & State Corruption1733 Martin Luther German Bible - Biblia With Apocrypha, Nurnberg - 18th CenturyIllustrated Miniature Holy Bible D. Bryce & Son 1896 Wonderful ConditionHidden Book Safe C1748 Smuggling Case Cutout Book French France Holy Bible LatinAntique Family Bible King James Color Plates Unmarked Family Pages Apocrypha Aeg17th Century Incunable Bound Suetonius' Twelve Caesars 1644 With Engravings Rare1864 Civil War Soldier New Testament 1st Regiment New HampshireR.l. Allan 53br Longprimer Kjv Holy Bible - Brown Highland Goatskin Leather1524 Erasmus Roterodamus-religion-philosophy-bible-latin-rotterdam-prayerSilver Miniature Bible(no Reserve)1906 Miniature Silver Common Prayer Book - Psalms - Bible - Art Nouveau-antique1659. Thos.sheppard. 'the Sincere Convert..' Puritan Bible Theology. Binding1697 Exodus 2nd Book Of Moses Leather Old Testament Bible God Devil Egypt Xrare$King James Bible *1633* Genealogies Speed Apocrypha Woodcut Black Letter Old NewJerusalem BibleThe Mystic Bible Dr Randolph Stone Dj Surat Shabd Yoga Eastern Spirituality RareAntique C 1881 Clasp Bible New Old Testament Parallel Concordance Apocrypha NameAntique Leather And Silver Hasps Pictorial Family Holy Bible 1896Antique German Martin Luther Bible With Apocrypha, 1838Easton Press : The Holy Bible (brand New In Shrink Wrap)Black Grimoire Witches Bible Mastering Witchcraft Black Mass Satan Occult MagicLarge Holy Bible 1957 Heirloom Edition Family Red Letter Gold Gilt King JamesAntique 1815 First Brookfield Edition Of The Apocrypha Bible Antique Catholic Family Bible Clasped Pub 1875 By D&j Sadlier & Co Oberly FamilyAntique Large Family Bible, From Civil War Era 1865, English Very NiceAntiquarian. Religion, Bible Prophecies, Exceptionally Rare. 1st Edition 1786Incunabula Fragment Gold Leaf Initial Rachel Radir1943 Masonic Freemason 22k Gold W/ Leather Binding War Bible & Military RecordsVintage Miniature Book - Bryce Holy Bible/leather Covers/magnifying Glass Insert1842 Velvet Bound Book Of Common Prayer & Psalms-religion-christianity-bible1552 Book Of Common Prayer Leaf - 1st Edition Anglican/episcopal/bibleJerusalem Bible In Box With J.r.r. Tolkien Listed As A Translator1872 Leather Bound Polyglot Family Bible - With Genealogy Matthew Henry's Commentary On The Whole BibleAntique Early 1800's Family Bible With Geneolgy Strough During Civl War Period.Last Will And Testament1880 Antique Old Gustave Dore Holy Bible Gallery Old New Testament Jesus Stories1811 American Bible Concordance: Pennsylvania Folk ArtPuritan Presbyterian Preacher Bible Sermon/israel/judaica Very Rare 1st Ed 1642The Universal Family Bible By Henry Southwell Vol.2 - 1776Morris Cerullo's God's Victorious Army Bible Spiritual Warfare Reference In BoxAntique Pocket Miniature Holy Bible Polish 1906 BlackAntique Book 1870 Complete Analysis Of The Holy Bible By Roswell D. HitchcockAntique Holy Bible London Brass Edge W/ Clasp Unmarked Old & New TestamentsThe King James Bible- Gustave Dore Illustrated-sealed And New!1855- Book Of Common Prayer -bible-new Testament-brass Clasps & Corners-religionCatholic Family Bible, Pub. 1874 By D&j Sadlier & Co.The New Testament Octapla Tyndale Coverdale Geneva Bishop's Rheims Kjv BibleAn Apology For The Bible Letters To Thomas Paine 1855 R. Watson 1852 Leather Wth Brass Clasp Holy Bible Old & New Testaments Frm Original Tongue1880 Rare Dwight Lyman D.l. Moody Bible Sermons Prayers Evangelical Christian~nrMiniature 2" History Of The Bible, Printed Buffalo, New York, 18721878 Miniature German BibleAttractive Fully Bound Clasped Bible 1857Brown: A Dictionary Of The Holy Bible.. Antiquities Hebrew 2 Vols Maps & Prints