Publication of the complete Geneva Bible
- When
- 1560
- Where
- Geneva
- Episodes
- 1
The complete Geneva Bible was published in 1560 in Geneva. Translated by English Protestant scholars fleeing Mary I's reign, it was the first complete English Bible translated entirely from original languages and printed in Roman type.
Episodes
Background and detail
Historical Context. During the reign of Mary I, English Protestant scholars fled to Geneva, a republic led by John Calvin and later Theodore Beza. This exile provided the environment for the translation work that resulted in the Geneva Bible.
Translation Process. William Whittingham supervised the translation in collaboration with Myles Coverdale, Christopher Goodman, Anthony Gilby, Thomas Sampson, and William Cole. The work was based on scholarly Greek and Hebrew editions, relying significantly on earlier translations by Tyndale and Coverdale.
Publication Details. The first full edition appeared in 1560. It was notable for being the first complete English version translated entirely from original languages and the first printed in Roman type. The 1560 edition was issued in quarto format, with octavo and folio editions also produced.
People involved
- William Whittingham · Supervisor of translation
- Myles Coverdale · Collaborator
- Christopher Goodman · Collaborator
- Anthony Gilby · Collaborator
- Thomas Sampson · Collaborator
- William Cole · Collaborator
Sources
- Geneva Bible Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-12
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.