Bible Versions and Societies
The German Version was adopted by the Kirk of Scotland; and the Bishops' Bible, sometimes called Parker's Bible, was designed to supplant it. In a way it was the bishop against the presbyter. But it failed in this. This is why King James demanded that the Bishops' Bible should be taken as the basis of the 1611 revision. There is a note in the Bishops' Bible on Ps. 45: 9, on the gold of Ophir, which will be of interest to Americans and especially to Californians: "Ophir is thought to be the Ilande in the West coast of late found by Christopher Colombo: fro whence at this day is brought most fine golde." The first year of the British and Foreign Bible Society, 1804, it issued about 5,000 Bibles. When it was 100 years old it issued nearly 6,000,000 volumes. Last year it exceeded 6,000,000 volumes. Its issues in the hundredth year alone were an average of nearly 60,000 volumes a year for its entire existence. The first Bible printed from movable types — said also to be the first book — was the Gutenberg Bible, 1450 to 1455, less than 200 copies, sold at $75.00 a copy. They are worth now from $15,000 to $20,000 each. The British and Foreign Bible Society was organized March 4, 1804; the American Bible Society, in 1816; the National Bible Society of Scotland, in 1861. The three societies have issued 341,000,000 volumes. All of the various Bible societies and companies great and small publish annually about 15,000,000 volumes, and yet we are told that there are not a few families in America who have not a Bible.