Statenbijbel - 1702

The States Bible by the Keur brothers from 1702 is a monumental folio edition consisting of:

Old Testament 450 leaves 900 pages Genesis through Esther
The Prophets 169 leaves 338 pages Job through Malachi
New Testament 144 leaves 288 pages Gospel of Matthew to Revelation
Apocrypha Books 179 leaves 358 pages Added historical books

The Bible is richly illustrated with a large number (about 300) of engravings and six double-page, partly fold-out maps that appear reasonably accurate for the time. Historian Kees Klok notes, however, that Paradise has not yet been found.

Bound in leather between two heavy oak boards with brass fittings, dimensions 43.3 x 26.5 x 10 cm, weight 7.82 kg. The Keur brothers’ editions from Dordrecht were known for their high quality and were praised as the most reliable and prestigious Bibles of the Dutch Republic.

The history of the 'Keur Bible' begins decades before 1702. The brothers Hendrick and Jacob Keur learned the printing trade in Dordrecht from their stepfather, Jacob Corneliszoon Braat, in his printing shop “in de Werckende Hoop” on Lange Breestraat. After his death in 1665, the brothers took over the printing shop and released their very first States Bible in 1666. Later their younger brother Pieter Keur joined the family business.

In the 17th century the market was flooded with illegal pirated editions and Bibles full of sloppy typesetting errors. The Keur brothers approached this differently: They were granted from the city government of Dordrecht and the States of Holland the exclusive right to print the States Bible.

The edition of 1702 became a monumental 'state Bible' (pulpit Bible or marriage Bible). Families of standing bought these costly Bibles, had them bound in heavy morocco or calf leather with oak boards and equipped them with brass or silver book locks. They served as a status symbol and as a family register in which births and deaths were recorded for generations.

What makes the 1702 edition historically especially notable is the addition of six pull-out Bible maps drawn by the famous engraver and cartographer Daniel Stoopendaal. These maps — including a spectacular world map with allegorical figures, the Garden of Paradise, and the journeys of the Apostle Paul — reflect the zenith of Dutch cartography in the Golden Age.

The Dordrecht city library, AanZet, acquired a copy of this Bible on Marktplaats in 2024 for about €1100.

Bibliotheek AanZet paid about €1,100 in January 2024 for the rare Keur Bible from 1702 on Marktplaats.

"Collection manager Lonneke van Ark happened to see the historic centerpiece online by chance. The seller did not seem fully aware of the enormous historical value of the book for the city. The purchase is a real bargain for the library, since complete copies of this caliber in antiquarian shops are often much more expensive." (source: RTV Dordrecht)

Condition: The two boards with brass fittings are torn and partly damaged, a small number of pages are missing at the beginning and end. Otherwise the Bible appears complete with all folios and illustrations present. Moisture stains, here and there a tear, folded corners. See photos for a better impression.

Will be carefully packed and sent by registered mail and insured.