In July archivist Callum Carr - Marquis received a remarkable donation to the rare books collection - a 16th century Geneva Bible! Also known as the Breeches Bible, the Geneva Bible predates the King James translation by 51 years. It is often called the Breeches Bible due to a quirk in translation. In Genesis 3:7, when Adam and Eve realize they're naked, they stitch fig leaves into "breeches," rather than the "apron" which appears in the King James Bible.
This translation, one of the earliest into common English rather than Latin, was the primary Bible in 16th century Europe. It was the Bible Shakespeare knew and the one Cromwell handed out to his soldiers. The first Geneva Bible to reach America was brought over on the Mayflower. Benjamin Franklin took inspiration from the block print on the first page to design the Great Seal of the United States.
The Bible is now officially the oldest book in the rare books collection at UM-Flint. It was donated by St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Saginaw Street, where it had been stored in less than optimal settings. The book is now stored in our archives and can be viewed upon request, and we are working on sending it out for conservation. We are so grateful to St. Paul's for trusting us with this treasure.
University of Michigan-Flint
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