We were delighted to look in on the 2025 exhibition at Lichfield Cathedral today.
The exhibition, “Book of Books: the story of the English Bible,” running until to July 20th, was a fascinating exploration of the best-selling book ever to be printed in the English language.
The exhibition is showing a remarkable collection of rare and precious Bibles from the Cathedral Library including the St Chad’s Gospels, an early 15th century manuscript New Testament, a spectacular first edition of Henry VIII’s Great Bible, rare editions of the 1611 Authorised Bible, and other bibles.
For us it was particularly interesting to observe their display of a rare 1599 edition of the Geneva Bible. While this specific copy dates to the end of the 16th century, the exhibition notes remind us that the Geneva Bible was first published in 1560. This makes it a truly significant edition, representing a revolutionary and widely read translation that transformed how people engaged with scripture.
As we explored further into the “Book of Books,” it became clear just how much the Geneva Bible shaped history. The exhibition highlights that this was the Bible of Shakespeare, the Pilgrims, and the Puritans. Its influence reached far beyond England, traveling to America with the Mayflower and shaping Protestant thought for generations.
However, its journey was not without controversy and influence. The exhibition explains that the Geneva Bible’s notes reflected Puritan beliefs, making it popular with reformers but disliked by the Church of England. Despite King James I rejecting it in favour of the 1611 Authorised Bible, it remained widely read for decades, demonstrating its enduring impact.
A distinctive characteristic that contributed to its popularity and gave it a unique nickname is also explored: the ‘Breeches’ Bible. A famous feature of the Geneva Bible is its translation of Genesis 3:7, where Adam and Eve make breeches (trousers) from fig leaves instead of aprons. This unusual choice gave the Bible its memorable name.
The exhibition also emphasizes the reading revolution sparked by the Geneva Bible.
Published in 1560, it was the first to include verse numbers, study notes, and maps. Designed for deep engagement, it quickly became the go-to Bible for scholars, clergy, and ordinary people alike, making scripture more accessible and understandable.
Its origins are also significant. As the exhibition details, this was a Bible born in exile. In the 1550s, during the reign of Queen Mary I, Protestant scholars fled England under her Catholic rule. In Geneva, William Whittingham led the effort to create this new English Bible, translated directly from Hebrew and Greek, making scripture more accessible than ever before. The 1599 edition on display is a testament to the continued importance and circulation of this translation decades after its initial creation in that exiled community.
This brings to mind the figure of Sir Rowland Hill who died in 1561. Sir Rowland Hill’s life is intimately connected with the initial publication of the Geneva Bible in 1560, and he lived during the intense religious changes of the English Reformation.
Seeing this 1599 copy of the Geneva Bible within the exhibition offers a tangible link to that transformative period in English religious history. It underscores the reasons why subsequent efforts to produce authorized English Bibles, like the King James Version, became so crucial in a society grappling with diverse theological viewpoints and the increasing availability of scripture in the vernacular.
The exhibition, coupled with the grandeur of Lichfield Cathedral itself, provides a profound insight into the historical and cultural significance of the Bible in England. It was well worth the visit and the donation made to support the Cathedral and its valuable collection. We left with a greater appreciation for the long and complex journey of this foundational text in the English language.
