AA.VV. - Bybel - 1748

THE GIANT OF REFORM: A MAJESTIC STATES BIBLE IN THE “OLIFANTEN-FOLIO”
Dutch monumental Bible printed in Gorinchem in 1748 by Nicolaas Goetzee, one of the most imposing typographic testimonies of the Dutch Protestant tradition of the 18th century. This gigantic “Statenbijbel,” in the extremely rare so-called “Olifanten-folio” size, perfectly embodies the function of the Bible as a domestic object, political symbol, and identity instrument of the United Provinces. The work includes the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha, according to the famous translation approved by the Dordrecht Synod of 1618-1619. The original full-leather binding, on oak boards, with dry-stamped tooling, raised bands, corners, and massive brass clasps, transforms the volume into an authentic object of power and representation. The dedication to the House of Orange-Nassau and the celebratory allegorical engravings confirm the deep link between Dutch Protestantism, national construction, and dynastic propaganda. An exceptionally imposing exemplar, rare for structural completeness and preservation of the original binding.
MARKET VALUE
The great 18th-century Statenbijbels in monumental “Olifanten-folio” format, complete with clasps and original hardware, are increasingly rare on the international antique market. Similar complete copies in structurally solid condition generally range from €1,000 to €3,000, with higher values for particularly fresh copies, with complete engravings and bindings fully preserved. The presence of the exceptional monumental format, the original wooden boards, and the heavy metal hardware significantly increases collector interest.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Original full brown blind-tooled leather binding on oak boards, decorated with fillets, floral motifs, and a central medallion impressed dry. Original spine with robust raised bands. Brass mounting with 8 corners and 2 original clasps preserved. Exceptional volume in the “Olifanten-folio” format. Complete with Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha. Large typographic title page and decorative engraved apparatus. Present large allegorical engraving. Text set in double columns with registers and exegetical apparatus. First fascicle restored and resewn in antiquity, some tears in the upper and lateral margins of some leaves. Some leaves detached. Old ownership note present. In old books, with a centuries-long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. pp. (2); 5nn; 8; 2nn; 38; 684; 4nn; 302; 4nn; 344; 4nn; 154; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Bybel.
Te Gorinchem, Nicolaas Goetzee, 1748.
AA.VV.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Statenbijbel represents the foundational text of Dutch Protestantism and one of the cultural pillars of the Republic of the United Provinces. The official translation approved by the Dordrecht Synod was conceived not only as a religious text but as a tool for linguistic unification and political consolidation of the young Protestant nation. This monumental 1748 edition, printed by Nicolaas Goetzee, fully reflects the ceremonial and domestic role of the large Dutch Bibles of the eighteenth century. It was not merely books for reading but true family monuments: displayed in noble houses, inherited, and used during public reading of Scripture.
The dedication to the House of Orange-Nassau places the work within the context of Orangist propaganda and the sacralization of Dutch Protestant power. The presence of large allegorical engravings, monumental type, and the powerful metal hardware gives the whole an almost architectural impression. The rarissime monumental format “Olifanten-folio” further emphasizes the symbolic function of the work: the Bible is no longer just sacred text, but a physically dominant presence intended to embody moral stability, dynastic continuity, and religious authority.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Nicolaas Goetzee operated in Gorinchem as the town’s official printer in the 18th century, producing high-quality Bible editions for the Dutch Protestant market. This edition of 1748 is considered the first and only great monumental impression produced by Goetzee. The Bibles of the States General with complete apparatus, large size, and surviving original binding with hardware are now decidedly rare, especially in conditions of substantial structural integrity. Many surviving copies have lost clasps, corners, or part of the spine, elements that are still largely preserved here. The tradition of blind-tooled large Bibles on wooden boards has roots in late 17th-century bindings and in the great ceremonial North European Bibles, preserving an austere yet monumental aesthetic into the 18th century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN: censuses of Dutch editions of the Statenbijbel from the 18th century.
STCN – Short Title Catalogue Netherlands: Nicolaas Goetzee, Gorinchem, 1748.
WorldCat: records of the editions “Bybel dat is de gansche H. Schrift.”
Darlow & Moule, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of Holy Scripture.
Herbert, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the Bible.
Studies on the Dordrecht Synod and on the Statenvertaling.
Bibliographies on Dutch religious typography of the 18th century.
Catalogs of European antiquaries specializing in monumental Protestant Bibles.
Studies on Dutch binding or blind-tooled on wooden boards and metal hardware.
Historical research on the House of Orange-Nassau and the confessional identity of the United Provinces.