| Contents of this Site Copyright © 2005 - 2008 R A Sites Books |
| IN the late Fourteenth Century, John Wycliffe and his followers - the Lollards - at great peril to themselves, became the first to translate the complete text of the Bible into English. This "Beggars Bible" became a key event in the subsequent Protestant movement because it allowed, not just Books of Hours and other fragments of the Biblical text, but the entire Bible to be placed into the hands of the common people. For the first time persons other than clergy could study the scriptures first hand. Wycliffe's translation is of profound historical importance and earned him the title of the "Morning Star of the Reformation." JOHN OF WYCLIFFE, of noble birth, was born before 1324; even as a student at Oxford, in 1356, he "published" a tract, "The Last Age of the Church," which looked at the sad state of Europe, morally and ecclesiastically, and found a counterpoint to its depravity in the love and intercession of the Redeemer. Wycliffe entered the priesthood; by 1360, at Oxford, he was outspokenly opposed to the Mendicant Friars, once itinerant clerics, but by then reveling in wealth and power as the direct agents of the Pope. Wycliffe, like Luther some time later, attacked corruptions with the Bible in hand, "feeling his way into the clearer light of truth." In 1366 Wycliffe, as Professor of Sacred Theology at Oxford, convinced himself that the Sacred Word needed to be read and preached in a form people could understand. After being a Commissioner negotiating with papal emissaries at Bruges, observing first hand the venality and corruption of the Roman courtiers ("Antichrist stood revealed before him"), he returned to England, where his open expression of his doctrines on reform landed him in hot water with the clerical establishment. About 1376, Wycliffe undertook his great task of translating the Bible into English from the Latin Vulgate version, knowing full well the Pope would prohibit its "publication" (which in those days before printing meant reading a manuscript aloud, or making it available for copying). The translation was completed about 1380, and "publication" commenced immediately - as did opposition to it. AND it was not until 1850 that the entire handwritten Wycliffe Bible was completely published in print. THIS is a new text-only 5 Volume paperback edition of The Holy Bible. THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD TIME IN HISTORY THAT THE ENTIRE WYCLIFFE 1385 BIBLE HAS BEEN AVAILABLE IN PRINT! (The second printing was a very expensive limited edition of only a few hundred copies produced in the 1970's.) Volume One contains the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth. Volume Two contains the books of I and II Kings (I and II Samuel), III and IV Kings (I and II Kings), I and II Paralipomenon (I and II Chronicles), I Esdras (Ezra), II Esdras (Nehemiah), III Esdras, Tobit, Judith, and Hester (Esther) and other apocryphal additions to the Canon. Volume Three contains the Books of Joob (Job), Salms (Psalms), Parablis (Proverbs), Ecclesiastes, Songes of Songes, Wisdom, Syrach, and I & II Machabeis. Volume Four contains all the Books of the Major and Minor Prophets and includes the Apocryphal Books of The Preier of Jeremye and Baruk, and the extra chapters to Daniel of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon and other apocryphal additions to the Canon. Volume Five contains all the Books of the recognized New Testament Canon and includes the rare Apocryphal Letter of St. Paul to the Laodiceans. THIS is not a photocopy or facsimile edition. Text has been entirely reset. While Middle English spelling of words has been retained, alphabetic and runic symbols which are no longer in current usage have been replaced by their modern equivalents. This gives the contemporary reader an easier opportunity to experience the vigorous and idiomatic language of the first great English-language Bible first-hand, and to discover the sense of wonder its first readers must have felt. The Messianic quality of the scriptures stands out in stark relief. It is a truly remarkable and highly significant translation. TRY to find this spiritual and Biblical masterpiece anywhere else and you will discover that you cannot. This is a chance to own one of the most important literary works of the entire Medieval period. You will not find this edition anywhere else in this format and at this price. Portions of Wycliffe's Bible have recently sold for $100's of dollars, and a printing from 1731 of the New Testament alone is currently listed on the open-market at $89,500. The only complete handwritten copy of the Wycliffe Bible on the open-market in 2007 is listed at $2,750,000. THIS Bible set would make a wonderful gift for a Pastor, Bible reader or historian, Theology student, Seminarian, Christian scholar, anyone interested in Medieval life and thought, re-enactors (such as the Society for Creative Anachronism), lovers of word origins, and so on. The significance of this translation cannot be overestimated. BOOK INFORMATION: Book Size: 7.5" x 9.25" Vol 1: 268 pp; Vol 2: 277 pp; Vol 3: 252 pp; Vol 4: 246 pp; Vol 5: 267 pp. Paperback Binding with Glossy Full Color Covers on each Volume. Publisher: R A SITES BOOKS Printer and Distributor: www.cafepress.com/roysites |
Volume One: The Old Testament - Part 1 Volume Two: The Old Testament - Part 2 Volume Three: The Old Testament - Part 3 Volume Four: The Old Testament - Part 4 Volume Five: The New Testament |
| Beautifully preserved original hand-written manuscript of the John Wycliffe translation of THE HOLY BIBLE |
| R. A. SITES BOOKS |
| Rare and Important Works for the Casual Reader The Only Source for the Rare Complete John Wycliffe Translation of THE HOLY BIBLE |
R A SITES BOOKS ARE EXCLUSIVELY PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY WWW.CAFEPRESS.COM. www.cafepress.com has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Time, & New York Moves magazines, and in national news stories on ABC, Fox & E-Online. |
| THE JOHN WYCLIFFE TRANSLATION OF THE HOLY BIBLE (In Five Volumes) |
Click here for ordering information:
| TO READ A SELECTION FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT CLICK HERE |
| TO READ A SELECTION FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT CLICK HERE |
| VOLUME ONE |
| VOLUME TWO |
| VOLUME THREE |
| VOLUME FOUR |
| VOLUME FIVE |
