1591 Bishops' Bible — 2 Kings 19–21
1591 Bishops' Bible Folio Leaf — 2 Kings 19–21
Sennacherib's Defeat & Hezekiah's Sundial Sign
An authentic, original 1591 Bishops' Bible folio leaf, printed in London by Christopher Barker, Printer to Queen Elizabeth I. The Bishops' Bible, first published in 1568, was produced for use within the Church of England and became an important English Bible of the Elizabethan period.
This substantial sixteenth-century leaf preserves a dramatic sequence from the Second Book of Kings, including Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance, Isaiah's prophecy against Assyria, the sudden destruction of Sennacherib's army, Hezekiah's miraculous recovery from illness, and the remarkable sign of the shadow moving backward upon the sundial of Ahaz.
Item Specifics
Year: 1591
Version: The Bishops' Bible
Printer: Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty
Material: Original 16th-century rag paper folio leaf
Dimensions: 9 ¼" × 13 ¼"
Format: Folio
Page: 161 (marked in the upper right corner)
Type: Clear Gothic black-letter type with marginal references in Roman type
Certificate of Authenticity: Included
Text Content & Visual Highlights
Side A — 2 Kings 19:
Presents King Hezekiah's fervent prayer for deliverance and the prophecy of Isaiah (Esai) concerning the arrogance of the Assyrian king. The running headers include:
“Hezecias prayer.”
“Chap. xix.”
“Esai prophecieth deliverance. 161”
Side B — 2 Kings 19–21:
Records the catastrophic defeat of the Assyrian army, including the striking account that when the survivors arose the following morning, they found the host dead.
The text continues into Chapter 20, recounting Hezekiah's illness, the application of a poultice of figs, and the extraordinary sign in which the shadow moves ten degrees backward upon the dial. The narrative then turns to Hezekiah's encounter with the Babylonian messengers before continuing into the opening of Chapter 21.
The running headers include:
“Sennacheribs hoste destroyed. II. Kings.”
“Hezecia receiveth a signe.”
Woodcut Initials:
Two attractive woodcut initials enhance the leaf: an intricate geometric “A” opening Chapter 20 and an ornate “M” beginning Chapter 21.
Condition
Layout:
The leaf retains its natural, historic formatting, with generous original margins and an appearance consistent with its period printing and binding.
Paper Integrity:
The original rag paper remains remarkably strong, crisp, and stable, with clean, smooth edge profiles and excellent overall structural integrity.
Patina & Historic Annotations:
The leaf displays a rich, light cream antiquarian coloration. Faint historic handwritten annotations are present in the outer margins of Side A. These marks are a tangible reminder that this very leaf was handled and studied by an earlier reader centuries ago, adding an intriguing layer of human history to the artifact.
This substantial Bishops' Bible leaf brings together several memorable episodes from the reign of King Hezekiah, while preserving the typography, marginal apparatus, decorative initials, and physical character of an original Elizabethan-era English Bible.
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Collection Reference: AS-1036
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