The Great Bible (1540)
The Great Bible (1539–1541) was the first authorized English Bible, commissioned by Henry VIII and translated by Miles Coverdale. It was ordered to be placed in every church in England. This 1540 edition is one of the earliest mass-produced English Bibles, a milestone in making Scripture available in the vernacular.
History & Background
These ancient manuscripts and early printed editions represent the foundational textual tradition of the Bible. From the great Greek codices — Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus — to the Hebrew Masoretic text, the Latin Vulgate, and the Septuagint, these documents form the bedrock upon which all modern Bible translations rest. They are the raw materials of biblical scholarship, preserved across centuries through the dedication of scribes, monks, and scholars who understood their eternal value.
Canon Proximity Rating
These ancient manuscripts represent the earliest surviving witnesses to the biblical text and are the primary sources for all modern critical editions of the Old and New Testaments.