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Rare 1538 English New Testament Diglot Leaf

Luke 8:51 – Luke 9:20

Still Speaking

He was a friend of kings and princes, dukes and duchesses, theologians and bishops. He was once chaplain to the boy king Edward VI and almoner to the queen dowager Catherine Parr, eventually preaching her funeral sermon. He was consecrated Bishop of Exeter by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and later assisted in the consecration of Matthew Parker, the first Elizabethan Archbishop of Canterbury.

He knew the famous humanist Desiderius Erasmus and the reformer Martin Luther.

He travelled across France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, and many places in between. When he fell into difficulty, he was befriended by John Calvin’s wife and often worked alongside men such as Thomas Bilney, Peter Martyr, Henry Bullinger, Martin Bucer, Bishop Grindal, and John Jewel.

He served under Thomas Cromwell and Richard Grafton, translating and publishing religious works that sometimes drew the sharp criticism of the established church.

His mentor was Robert Barnes, and one of his fiercest opponents was Sir Thomas More.

Though ordained a Catholic priest, he later married—an act that created considerable controversy in his day. When he again found himself in danger, King Christian III of Denmark offered him refuge.

His name was Myles Coverdale (c.1488–1569).

In 1535, while living in exile on the Continent, he produced the first complete Bible printed in English.

And the voice of that translation still speaks today.

It speaks in churches every Sunday.

It has spoken at funerals for centuries.

It was present when Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) preached to thousands in London.

It travelled with William Carey (1761–1834) to India and with Adoniram Judson (1788–1850) to Burma.

It sailed aboard the Mayflower in 1620.

It echoed in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey when the translators prepared the King James Bible of 1611.

Wherever English Scripture is read, the voice of Myles Coverdale is still heard.

The Passage on This Leaf — Luke 8:51 – 9:20

This rare leaf preserves a remarkable sequence from the Gospel of Luke, moving from miracle to mission and finally to revelation.

The passage opens inside the house of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue. Jesus allows only Peter, James, John, and the child’s parents to enter. While others weep in despair, Christ takes the young girl by the hand and commands: “Maid, arise.”

Immediately her spirit returns, and she rises from the bed. In a quiet room in Galilee, the power of death itself is overturned.

From this miracle the narrative moves directly into the sending of the twelve apostles.

Christ gathers his disciples and gives them authority over demons and diseases. They are commanded to travel lightly—taking neither purse nor provisions—and to proclaim the Kingdom of God while healing the sick.

It is one of the earliest missionary movements recorded in the New Testament.

News of these events spreads widely, reaching even the palace of Herod the Tetrarch. Perplexed by the reports, Herod wonders whether John the Baptist has risen from the dead, or whether one of the ancient prophets has appeared again.

Soon afterward the narrative records one of the most famous miracles in the Gospels.

A vast crowd gathers near Bethsaida, and as evening approaches the disciples realise there is no food. With only five loaves and two fish, Christ feeds thousands.

All are satisfied. And when the fragments are gathered, twelve baskets remain.

The passage concludes with a turning point in the Gospel narrative. Jesus asks his disciples a question that has echoed through the centuries: “Whom say the people that I am?”

After various answers, Peter gives the confession that stands at the centre of the Christian faith: “The Christ of God.”

Historical Significance

Printed in 1538, during the turbulent years of the English Reformation, this Latin–English New Testament reflects a decisive moment in the history of Scripture in the English language.

Only a few years earlier William Tyndale (c.1494–1536) had been executed for translating the Bible into English. Yet the movement he began continued to spread.

Myles Coverdale carried the work forward, helping bring the Scriptures into wider circulation.

This edition presents the Latin Vulgate, long used throughout medieval Christendom, alongside the English translation in a parallel diglot format, allowing readers to compare the ancient ecclesiastical text with the emerging language of the English Reformation.

Scholars estimate that 80–90% of Coverdale’s New Testament reflects the earlier work of William Tyndale, whose translation became the foundation for nearly every English Bible that followed—including the King James Version of 1611.

Bibliographic Note for Collectors

This leaf comes from the 1538 Latin–English New Testament attributed to Myles Coverdale and catalogued by A. S. Herbert in Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the English Bible as Herbert 38.

The edition represents an important transitional stage in the development of the English Bible, preserving much of William Tyndale’s translation while presenting it alongside the Latin Vulgate in parallel columns.

Leaves from this edition stand at the intersection of several major English Bible traditions:

Tyndale → Coverdale → Taverner → Great Bible → Geneva Bible → Bishops’ Bible → King James Version.

For this reason collectors often regard these early diglot leaves as among the closest surviving witnesses to Tyndale’s English New Testament.

The Printing

The typography reflects the transitional style of early English Bible printing.

The English text appears in blackletter type, while the Latin is printed in Roman humanist type, clearly distinguishing the two languages.

The page is arranged in a parallel diglot format, enabling line-by-line comparison between the Latin Vulgate and the English translation.

Decorated woodcut initials introduce major textual sections.

The leaf is printed on handmade rag paper, remarkably durable and one of the reasons these pages have survived nearly five centuries.

Condition

This leaf remains in good collector condition for a mid-sixteenth-century Bible leaf. The text is clear and fully legible. There is moderate age toning and light edge wear consistent with historical use. No modern restoration has been undertaken.

Included with the Bifolium

This offering includes:

• the original sixteenth-century leaf
• a reproduction of the 1538 title page
• a Certificate of Authenticity identifying the edition and biblical text reference
• a printed historical essay

These materials assist collectors, researchers, and those who wish to display the leaf in a study, library, church, or exhibition.

Shipping

This leaf will be securely packaged and shipped in a rigid protective shipping tube. Tracking will be provided where available. 30-day money-back guarantee. Buyer pays return shipping.

This description and accompanying historical content are protected under international copyright law and may not be reproduced without written permission.