An exhibit presented to honour the work of Dr. Daniel Fraikin of Queen's University Theological College who created an electronic database of the Jordan Library's Bible Collection for loading into QCAT, the Queen's Library online catalogue.

For over three years, Dr. Fraikin generously contributed his knowledge and expertise to this task, working from and expanding upon a checklist compiled in 1974 by Donald Redmond, a former Queen's Chief Librarian.

In conjunction with this exhibit,
Dr. Fraikin presented a talk about the Bible Collection
on Thursday, 9 January 2003 in the Jordan Library.

Illustration:   An early Latin Vulgate edition, published in 1491 and bound in hand-tooled pigskin with metal clasps.

On display are selected items from the Jordan Library's collection of about 1200 Bibles, representing many historically significant versions. Included are facsimiles of early illuminated manuscripts and printed editions from 1491 to 2001 in various translations and versions in some sixty languages, with and without illustration, in formats large and small.

About sixty Bibles (or parts of Bibles) are exhibited in seven cases arranged in the following categories by chronology, language, version or other feature:

• Early manuscript reproductions in Hebrew and Latin, including the Book of Kells (Trinity College Dublin) and the Biblia Pauperum.



• Early printed editions in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, including a reproduction of the Gutenberg Bible.
  17th and 18th century editions with engraved title-pages also are featured, as shown in the following illustrations.

Illustrated page from a Kells Bible

• Notable English translations which include: Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishops', Geneva, Douai, and the role of King James whose authorized version of 1611 continues to be used today. Various anomalies of translation also are represented -- the so-called "She", "He", and "Breeches" Bibles.



• Around the world in many languages with Luther's German text and the French Louis Segond version. The role of the British and Foreign Bible Society in disseminating the Bible is described.

• Canadian Bibles - early imprints where the role of the Canadian Bible Society and others in fostering the translation of the Bible into many native North American languages is acknowledged.



• Miniatures and interesting bindings and illustrations including a "finger" Bible (shown above) and the beautifully illustrated editions by Salvador Dali and Gustave Doré.
  
  Also featured is a rare 1635 metrical psalm book (shown at right), where some tunes are printed upside down on facing pages, so that one book could be used by singers on either side of the choir.



• Modern editions, including the famous Doves Press edition.