BOOK of Books

When my Pop Pop Strawbridge (grandpa on my mother's side) passed away in the 1970s, he left me the family Bible. It was a huge Pictorial Family Bible published by C.R. Parish & Co. in 1893 in Philadelphia. Its dimensions are 12.5" x 10" x 5"; it weighs about 16 lbs. It's incredibly ornate and extremely delicate.

Recently I took the opportunity to thumb carefully through its pages. I have owned several study Bibles over the decades, but this BOOK of books has study helps that I'd never imagined. Let me list/describe briefly some of them:

• The entire King James Version and Revised Version of Old and New Testaments in parallel columns.
• Copious (their word) marginal references with chronological tables and many important and valuable aids to the study of the Holy Scriptures written to increase the interest in and simplify the Word of God.
• Table of Contents with a list of the essence and topics of each book.
• Natural History of the Bible containing descriptions and illustrations (drawings and photos in color and black and white) of the animals, birds, insects, and reptiles mentioned (by Rev. A.F. Thompson).
• Botany drawings and photographs of trees, plants, flowers, and fruit of the Bible with descriptions by Rev. William Jones.
• Illustrations and descriptions of ancient money including Greek, Roman, and Hebrew coins mentioned in the Bible with their value in American money.
• Stories of the Old Testament Heroes -- Patriarchs, Prophets, and Kings -- with drawings of scenes and events.
• History of the writing of the books of the Holy Bible.
• Biographical sketches of the translators, reformers, and martyrs written by Rev. Joseph Jenkins.
• History of the Religious Denominations of the World both Ancient and Modern written by Rev. H.D. Northrop.
• Comprehensive and Critical description of the Israelitish Tabernacle and its sacred furniture.
• Complete and Practical Household Dictionary of the Bible comprising its Antiquities, Biography, Geography, and Natural History by William Smith.
• Captivating Bible Stories for Young People.
• The Only Authentic Self-Pronouncing Dictionary of the Proper Names of the Bible (about 4000).
• Apocryphal Literature including I and II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Esther (chapters not found in OT), Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirac), Baruch, The Song of the Three Holy Children, The History of Susanna, The History and Destruction of Bel and the Dragon (cut off from the end of Daniel), and I and II Maccabees.
• Sacred Biography and History being an account of the lives, teachings, sufferings, and martyrdoms of the Holy Apostles and Evangelists of Our Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by Rev. John W. Fennimore.
• The Parables of Our Lord illustrated and explained.
• The Hofmann Gallery of original New Testament Illustrations.
• A  Chronological Index to the Holy Bible.
• Four Thousand Questions and Answers on the Old and New Testaments intended to open up the  scriptures for the use of students and Sunday-School Teachers.
• Scripture Difficulties Explained.
• Cruden's Concordance to the Old and New Testaments giving the leading words of all important texts.
• Cruden's Concordance to the Proper Names of the Holy Scriptures.
• Psalms of David in Metre (this one really fascinates me).

We open the Book of books almost every day at our house. We just don't open this special BOOK of books very often because of its fragility.

ornate cover - 1893 Bible

16 lb. BOOK of books