Let's hear about your latest/favorite bible

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It redeems us Yanks - a bit, anyway. One of the best 20th century US Catholic bibles, IMO, is any one of the 1941 through about 1952 or so Douay-Confratnerity bibles. The early versions employed the pure Challoner OT combined with the 1941 Confraternity NT, an excellent combination. It is purely my idiosyncrasy, but even the archaic Bishop Challoner OT translation is a reminder of which testament one is reading. Confraternity OT translations were added from time to time, but the (sad) adoption of the NAB killed the completed project. Those may also be obtained quite reasonably on eBay. A few of them have the goofy “Happy” Psalms, i.e. “Happy is the man…” from Psalm 1.
 
Oh, some time back, another member posted this link to a parallel Vulgate/D-R/Knox site.

vhttp://catholicbible.online/
 
po18guy said:
Oh, and as to my 99¢ D-R, you are correct. It is a reprint of the 1914, an example of which I have also (eBay $9.99).
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This is a tricky subject. Firstly, I would say that the reprint mentioned is not the actual text you have, but instead refers to the fact that this bible which you have is a reprint of the Douay Bible.

Secondly I would say that the entire text of the Bible you have could have been issued anytime, even after the death of Cardinal O’Connel in 1944, just as D/R bibles continued to use the approbations of the original D/R centuries later.

Thirdly I would guess, based on the look of this bible’s cover and the publisher P.J. Kennedy, who was very active in publishing Bibles in the 1950’s that it possibly dates to that era. I could be wrong, but those flexible leather covers with floppy edges seems to have become very popular for bibles in the Post WWII era in the US.

Still, the condition is remarkable for a leather book that is 60 or more years old! Congrats on the find!
 
I use “The New Catholic Answer Bible” (NAB) as my study bible. I’ve highlighted it all over and that’s what I read when I’m digesting a particular passage of Scripture for the first time. It has inserts that explain all kinds of doctrines and customs and their Biblical/Traditional origins.

For “recreation”, a RSV-2CE my wife got me for Christmas last year is what I turn to. I keep it on my nightstand and hasn’t spent a nanosecond on my bookshelf. My only criticism of this Bible is that so many names of people and places have apostrophes in them. It kind of impedes my progress and slows me down (I think unnecessarily).

This year I’m asking for a new Douay Reims Bible with the Latin translation alongside. It’s a magnificent book and I pray that I find it under the tree!!!

I feel the need to add an additional comment about the NAB. I think that while it’s not the best English translation, it’s been improved. My VERY first Bible was a first edition of the NAB and someone named “John the Baptizer” baptized Jesus Christ. I keep that Bible on my shelf because it was my first Bible that was given to me by a kindly Monsignor at my parish before I received the Holy Eucharist for the first time.

I loved the statement that the best Bible is the one you read. I agree. I also agree with President Theodore Roosevelt’s statement that “a thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”

That’s heady stuff coming from a Harvard graduate and former President of the United States.
 
My favorite is the app… I have installed on my phone… 🙂… how dumb am I …very
I do have 2 physical ones but the app is always @ my disposal.😏
 
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Thank you for this info. That is what I have come to find out. The history of P. J. Kenedy is very obscure after several sales and acquisitions. In contrast, the 1914 D-R that I have had for several years is not leather and has a 1938 date hand written in it, while having the 1914 copyright (but not publishing) date. Overall, it has the vintage appearance of a “between the wars” bible. The only other bible I have that is similar to the most recent is a 1949 Douay-Confraternity published by the Catholic Book Publishing Company. Its leather was in the same stiffened and curled condition. Several careful applications of Lexol over time restored it to a nearly new condition. That is what I am doing with this latest edition.
 
While the Scepter pocket sized NT is great, I do wish they’d publish a slightly larger edition. Was fortunate enough to find a Saint Anthony Guild Press example on eBay dated 1941 that is 5" by 7", a rather handy size. I see them come up at auction every now and then.
 
I did some more digging, and checked Margaret Hills: THE ENGLISH BIBLE IN AMERICA. She has an entry for the 1914 John Murphy Bible (Hills 2217), which appears to check out in all respects to yours. She says that bible was a reprint of the 1899 Benziger edition (Hills 2101). (That’s where the Cardinal Gibbons approbation originated) There was also a Benziger edition of the 1914 Murphy bible, which is where the Cardinal Farley approbation orginated. To add to the confusion P.J. Kennedy and Sons was also reprinting these Bibles in New York, one of which was issued in 1959. My conclusion is that nothing can be adduced from the text, but perhaps the unique binding with that famous portrait on the cover might be a clue as to it’s year of printing, as the technology to mass produce this sort of cover seems post-war to me. Or, of course, if there is any owner inscriptions inside that would shed some light.

I realize you probably don’t care all that much, but dating it represents such a challenge!

I have a 1950 D/R by P.J. Kennedy, but it is actually copyrighted in 1950 with the approbation of Cardinal Spellman. It has the Confraternity NT but the Douay OT.

Your Bible may have been marketed to people that still weren’t ready for the Confraternity version.
 
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The pictured bible remains as it was printed, with no added writing. It is internally identical to the 1914 John Murphy D-R that has all three approbations. The Murphy bible has an owner’s name and a handwritten date of 1938 on the frontispiece, which sets a date range, but that is all.

So, this bible will always remain somewhat of a mystery. The purple ribbon is fabric, which tends to make it somewhat older, as many newer ribbons are some type of synthetic “polymer” which, if ragged at the end, may be melted with a flame to stop the unraveling.

As to the 1941-1969 Douay-Confraternity, it has the eminently readable and excellent 20th century English NT. If a finished edition was ever printed under a single cover, I would buy one in a heartbeat.
 
There was no Confrat OT produced. The whole project was shelved when they began working on the NAB.
 
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IIRC, the Confraternity OT was the basis of the NAB OT. There is a completed Confraternity bible, but one must purchase four separate books to complete the volume. Going from memory here.
 
Quaestor said:
The OUP puts out a NABRE study bible with copious notes.
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I have that one. I would recommend it to any Catholic, or even any Christian. It is heavy on the Historical/Critical type notes, and sometimes heavy handed besides, but nevertheless, still a good study bible.
 
po18guy said:
So, this bible will always remain somewhat of a mystery. The purple ribbon is fabric, which tends to make it somewhat older, as many newer ribbons are some type of synthetic “polymer” which, if ragged at the end, may be melted with a flame to stop the unraveling.
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I found more evidence to back up my theory that your Bible is a Post War bible. I found the artist and date for the portrait of Jesus on the cover of your Bible. It is by Warner Sallman, and was painted in 1940. I believe that your Bible is the 1959 one mentioned by Hills. But it is only my opinion based on the gilt graphics on the leather cover, which design motif was frequently found on Catholic bibles in the late 50’s and early 60’s (indeed, even into the 70’s.) So there is no doubt (in my mind anyway) that it is a post war bible.
 
Thank you very much! An application of Lexol, plus some foam blocks and weight+wait is slowly straightening the curl in the cover flaps. If only the cover had my favorite image of our Lord by Heinrich Hofmann, it would be perfect. Still, it does allow me to permit a dignified retirement of my pre-war 1914® John Murphy D-R.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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I would be interested in the Bible in linguistic comparisons in several languages.
I wonder if the Bible exists simultaneously in several languages.
It seems to me in an electronic form there can be the Bible version simultaneously in several languages.
 
po18guy said:
An application of Lexol, plus some foam blocks and weight+wait is slowly straightening the curl in the cover flaps.
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Good idea on the treatment! Patience works wonders with books. Looking at those gilt edges, WOW! All in all, a very fortunate find!

Right now, my favorite Bible is a leather bound quarto Mathew Carey D/R from 1805. It is in incredibly good condition considering what they usually look like. It is an exact reprint of Dr. Troy’s Bible of 1791. At the time, it was considered the latest most approved version of the D/R in English speaking countries. But I also have within easy reach the OUP NABRE study bible and the Ignatius study bible. Sometimes, however, I like to go right to my huge, heavy, Imperial Quarto 1910 Oakely Haydock Bible. (This was the very last Haydock bible printed that wasn’t just a facsimile reprint.) It also uses Dr. Troy’s bible for the Scripture text, but the notes are notably updated from the original 1811 Haydock notes to reflect recent biblical scholarship.
 
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Unbelievable that bibles languish on store shelves, even thrift stores. That 1805 D-R edition certainly benefits from Bishop Challoner’s updates, but as we know, the English language is a true shape-shifter. Have a pic of it?
 
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