The “Bad” Bible of 1631, as it has become known, omits the word “no” from its seventh commandment, informing readers “you will commit adultery.” A thousand copies of the text, also known as the Bible of the Adulterers or Sinners, were printed, with the error only discovered a year later. Following the discovery of the error, the printers Robert Barker and Martin Lucas were summoned by King Charles I and brought before the court, where they were warned of the scandalous typographical error and improper work. They were stripped of their printing license, fined λι 300 over their heads for years (though eventually canceled) and most of the texts destroyed. Only about 20 remain in circulation. The Bibles are auctioned off from time to time, mostly in Britain or the United States, but this is the first time they have been discovered in the southern hemisphere, says the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. The university was first informed of its existence in 2018, but chose to keep the discovery secret until now to give researchers and bookkeepers enough time to study and maintain the book. “It’s a mystery, it’s fascinating and it’s made its way to half the world,” Chris Jones, an associate professor of medieval studies at the University and an associate of the Society of Antiquities in London, said on Monday. A former student of Jones brought him the copy in 2018 after her family had acquired it two years earlier in a sale of a dead property. The late owner was British bookbinder Don Hampshire, who moved to Christchurch from the UK in 2009, but as far as Jones can tell, Hampshire had never told anyone about his property. Jones’s former student told him he thought it was a “Bad” Bible, but he was “very skeptical because these are not common objects.” The well-known commandment as it appears in the book of 1631, which was later named the Bible of the Wicked or Sinners. Photo: Digital Photography by New Zealand Micrographic Services, Ltd. © University of Canterbury “These are not things that you just go into an office having found one in a garage in Christchurch. But I looked at it and thought, wow, that’s exactly what my ex-student thinks – it’s a Wicked Bible. I was surprised by that. “ Jones said there was a copy in Canada, some in the US, others in the UK, Ireland and “a very nice copy” in Dublin. “Australians claim to have one, but they do not,” Jones laughed, adding that their copy did not contain the infamous “no” omission. “Someone coming to me at Christchurch is just remarkable.” The book’s discovery sparked Jones’ interest in Bible history and myths about why the mistake was made, the lawsuit surrounding it, and the printing industry at the time, for which he plans to publish works. The debate is fierce about how the printing error occurred, with theories that it could have been a deliberate act of industrial sabotage by a rival printer. But Jones denied the rumors, saying it was much more likely that printers operating in an unusual industry would simply cut costs for copywriters. The life of the New Zealand copy, which belongs to the Phil and Louise Donnithorne family trust, remains a mystery before it arrives in the country. Where many Bibles contain detailed descriptions of family trees, dates, places, and records of births and deaths, this copy has only one illegible name. The copy was in relatively poor condition when it was rediscovered, with the cover missing, some water damage and some pages on the back lost permanently. But it also has some unique features – it’s one of the few copies that has the most decorative red as well as black ink and is a much more complete version than many out there. Book and paper conservationist Sarah Askey preserved the item, painstakingly handling the work, placing a new cover and preserving it for future generations. Askey has documented any small features that could help provide clues as to where the book was – in between a few pages it found plant debris, human hair and textile fibers. “It was an awkward little thing to deal with… and there was a lot of problem solving, but it was good enough to do,” Askey said. The book has now been fully digitized and will be made available to the public free of charge through a website in the coming months – something Jones hopes will help shed more light on the mysterious illegible name of the copy engraved inside. “I hope someone comes and says, ‘Chris Jones, you idiot, that’s really obvious,’ and I’m looking forward to it.”
