Thanksgiving quiz: Which Bible did the Pilgrims favor?

When they arrived in America in 1620, the most precious cargo the Pilgrims carried with them was the Bible.

Have you ever wondered which version of the Bible they brought to America on the Mayflower? There was the King James Version of 1611, of course. But there was an earlier version – one not sanctioned by the government – the 1599 Geneva Bible, a forgotten yet priceless treasure.

Now, just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving like the Pilgrims, you can own your own Geneva Bible – a beautiful and faithful reproduction – for the cost of a comparable KJV.

The Geneva Bible, printed over 200 times between 1560 and 1644, was the most widely read and influential English Bible of the 16th and 17th centuries. The translation was the product of the best Protestant scholars of the day and became the Bible of choice for many of the greatest writers, thinkers, and historical figures of that time. Men such as Shakespeare, John Bunyan, and John Milton used the Geneva Bible, and it was reflected in their writings. During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell issued a pamphlet containing excerpts from the Geneva Bible to his troops. William Bradford cited the Geneva Bible in his book “Of Plymouth Plantation.”

The Geneva Bible is unique among all other Bibles. It was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive marginal notes. These notes, written by Reformation leaders such as John Calvin, John Knox, Miles Coverdale, William Whittingham, Anthony Gilby, and others, were included to explain and interpret the scriptures for the common people.

For nearly half a century these notes helped the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland understand the Bible and true liberty. King James despised the Geneva Bible because he considered the notes on key political texts to be seditious and a threat to his authority. Unlike the King James Version, the Geneva Bible was not authorized by any government. It was truly a Bible by the people and for the people. You can see why this remarkable version with its profound marginal notes played a key role in the formation of the American Republic.

Now 407 years after its original publication, this wonderful version of the Bible has been resurrected.

Get your copy now in WND’s Shop.WND.com. Choose between hardcover and a special leather-bound edition.