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The leaf opens with Nebuchadnezzar\'s account of the mighty tree reaching unto heaven before a heavenly watcher commands that it be cut down. Daniel interprets the vision, declaring that the tree represents the king himself, whose pride would bring divine judgment until he learned:
\"...that the highest hath power over the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whom he list.\"
The prophecy is fulfilled as Nebuchadnezzar is driven from among men before ultimately acknowledging the sovereignty of God and being restored to his kingdom.
The reverse begins Daniel Chapter 5, introducing the famous account of Belshazzar\'s Feast. The Babylonian king orders that the sacred vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem be used at a royal banquet, setting the stage for the miraculous handwriting on the wall, one of the most enduring scenes in biblical history.
The chapter summaries, extensive marginal references, and beautiful black-letter typography are characteristic features of the celebrated 1549 Matthew\'s Bible, edited by Edmund Becke.
The Seller\'s Research into John Rogers
The seller recently acquired a rare seventeenth-century oil portrait traditionally identified as John Rogers (c.1500–1555), editor of the Matthew\'s Bible and the first Marian martyr. Research connected with that portrait has deepened the seller\'s appreciation for the historical significance of original leaves from the Matthew\'s Bible, the great English Bible most closely associated with Rogers.
Bibliographical Information
The Byble, that is to say all the holy Scripture.
London:
Printed by John Day and William Seres, 1549.
The celebrated Matthew\'s Bible, traditionally associated with John Rogers, who published the work under the pseudonym \"Thomas Matthew.\"
STC 2077
Large folio edition.
This Bible stands among the foundational monuments of the English Reformation, preserving much of William Tyndale\'s translation together with revisions by Myles Coverdale and extensive editorial additions by Edmund Becke.
Condition
Large folio leaf measuring approximately:
12 × 7½ inches (30.5 × 19 cm).
Condition is good for a sixteenth-century Bible leaf, with:
- losses to the upper and outer margins, including some loss of printed text
- edge wear and chipping
- light age toning
- old folds and handling wear
Despite these condition issues, the leaf remains an attractive and highly collectible example of the Matthew\'s Bible, preserving substantial portions of these celebrated passages from the Book of Daniel with a strong printing impression and excellent eye appeal.
Please examine all photographs carefully.
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