What’s the oldest book you own?I mean published date, not 1st edition, obviously - so an internet printout of The Diamond Sutra doesn’t count!
My oldest book is a copy of the Scots Worthies (1835), or with its more extensive title: A Brief Historical Account of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies, Noblemen, Gentlemen, Ministers, and Others, Who Testified or Suffered for the Reformation in Scotland, During the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century.
Do you own an older book?
24 comments:
Ah, you beat mine.
I have a copy of Joseph Butler's Analogy of Religion printed some time around the mid-late 1850s.
off topic, I actually encountered Scots Worthies many years ago growing up in Charismatic circles, when a charismatic preacher suggested it as proof of prophecy and other miraculous gifts during the Scottish Reformation. (Not prophecy as in, "You'll have haggis next week," or "You are going to encounter some trouble with Catholics.")
This was the only time I ever heard a charimsatic preacher (in my youth,anyway) suggest a read from church history, pre-1900.
My oldest book is Isaac Voss, Epistolae Genuinae S. Ignatii Martyris (Amsterdam, 1646).
Chris,
My family owns a copy of an extremely old German Bible. Since my father has it right now, I can't tell you exactly when it was printed, but I'm pretty sure it was early to mid 18th century. It came complete with a portrait of Martin Luther in the front.
I've got a Greek Apocrypha printed in 1805; Poems "chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" by Robert Burns (Volume 1) printed in 1800; also "Volume the Eighteenth" containing Shakespeare's Hamlet and Titus Andronicus, printed in 1804. Also Demosthenes against Stephanou in Greek and Latin printed in 1801 and several others - poetry and Greek classics, all printed in that first decade of the 19th century ... but nothing as early as 1646!!!
I have a copy of The Works of Flavius Josephus trans by William Whitston from 1841. I think that is my oldest tome, really too brittle to use though.
J. B. Hood, that would be Jack Deere who said he was going to publish something based on his findings. I know Charismatics who are quite enamoured with the early church Fathers so it wasn't that odd to me. Last I heard Deere was pastoring a Presbyterian congregation. He is one of the Charismatics I have a fair bit of respect for, IIRC John Wimber found him at Fuller Seminary. Personally I don't buy the deliberate conspiracy to remove prophetic references from historic volumes, but it does show that we always mediate even when we are simply updating texts to modern language.
Yeah, that's who I thought it was--thanks for the reminder.
My oldest book(s) is a two volume set from 1796 of William Paley's Evidences. I ordered in from England about 7 years ago. The set is in perfect condition.
However, this set is not the most expensive book in my library (go figure!!)
I have a copy of The Acts of the Early Martyrs that dates back to 1871. It is so heavy and hard (though just about 4x6) that I think it might kill someone if you were to throw it at them. No wonder old books are still around. Contrast that with a majority of the paperbacks I own...they will probably expire before I do.
Chris,
I remember reading "Worthies" in college. I think I found it in the library of my best friend's grandfather. He was a retired Associate Reformed Presbyterian minister in North Carolina. He was also a descendent of Jonathan Edwards and a mean golfer.
Jason Kranzusch
I have a Latin New Testament dated MDLIIII.
Byron, my Latin NT is dated MCCCCLIV ... :)
Gordon Hu left a rather old book at the monastery, I'm sure he will return to pick it up, but it is all in Chinese, so I know not the date, but from a careful inspection, Bro. Simon has concluded that it is indeed very, very old.
The oldest book I have, is a Bible printed in 1825. And while I know this doesn't count; I also have a page (1st Kings, Chapter XII) from a Geneva Pulpit Bible, printed in 1578.
An 1872 edition set of Spurgeon's Treasury of David, bought at a book auction while I was at the London Theological Seminary in the late 80's.
I also have a 1881 edition of Spurgeon's Lectures to my Students Vol 2, signed by Mrs CHS who used to send freebie copies to poor pastors.
Perhaps the books aren't that old , but they are still in active service.
Fantastic collection of books, some extraordinary old!
One of the oldest books in my library is an introduction to the apocryphal literature of the Old Testament by J. G. Eichhorn. It was published in Leipzig in 1795.
To be fair, my husband and I have an advantage as we have been running our own second hand bookshop since going crazy over book binging at university (and my claim to possess a Gutenberg Bible was of course a lie) ... but Steve has held onto a Latin spiritual treatise written by a Jesuit priest and printed in 1634.
My oldest book is a copy of Beza's fourth New Testament edition of 1589. I also have a Dutch translation of Bunyan's Life and Death of Mr. Badman, dated 1702.
Exiled, I have that set of Treasury of David as well. Came from an old baptist pastor who donated his books to a church I was working at. I ended up with a lot of old Spurgeon those 7 and a collection of his sermon notes (4 volumes) which I think I traced to 1888. But to be honest they just sit on my shelf. I don't know much about Spurgeon. I scored four other commentary sets that day and a my copy of Josephus. The books I get the most use from that collection though are Newmann's two volume A Manual of Church History and Kelly's Early Church Doctrines.
One of Freedom,
I'm doing some Bible studies on the Psalms in our midweek meeting at the moment. Spurgeon's comments are really helpful. Not many modern exegetical commentaries follow Biblical exposition with "Explaniatory Notes and Quaint Sayings" and "Hints for Village Preachers"!
May I suggest that you dust off your Spurgeon volumes, read and enjoy.
Guy Davies
I happen to own a copy of Scots Worthies myself, though mine is dated 1846. A gift passed down to me from my grandfather who got it from his great grandmother.
1634
Hello I own The Works of Flavius Josephus,Three Dissertations from year 1833 if anyone knows any thing else about the book please contact me at overcomer1@localnet.com
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