First Edition of the New Testament in Modern Greek

[In Greek:] h kainh diathhkh tou kyriou hemon iesou christou diglottos: en he antiprosopos to te theion prototypon kai he aparallaktos ex ekeinou eis haplen dialekton dia tou makaritou kyriou maximou tou kallioupolitou genomene metaphrasis hama etypothesan].

Genève: Pierre Aubert, 1638.

Price: $2,250.00

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First edition of the New Testament translated into modern Greek. Bilingual text (Koiné and Modern Greek) in two columns. [24], 452; [1]-314, [2] ff. Volume II: leaf 4a2 (i.e., 278) largely torn away and with two later blank leaves inserted, 4a3 (i.e. 279) defective at lower gutter, with some narrow loss of text. 2 vols. 4to. First Edition of the New Testament in Modern Greek. Contemporary mottled calf, rebacked, with much of the original gilt backstrip and labels laid down, gilt monogram on boards, marbled endsheets. Woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials and head and tail pieces. Calf treated at some point early on with a darkening agent, bookplates and blindstamps (in corner of each title) of the "Society for the Home Study of Holy Scripture and Church History," irrelevant bookseller's description pasted to front endpaper of first volume. I:*4 shows a quarter sized ink spot, with smaller droplets, and a discoloration to fore-margin, occasional light marginal discolorations elsewhere, a few signatures a bit tanned; still, very good. Volume II: intermittent damp staining from 4b1 through end, some worming from 4c1 through end, often costing several letters or words per leaf; just a flawed companion to the former volume. Darlow & Moule 4958; Cathedral Libraries Catalogue b1500.

Item #254393

First edition of the New Testament translated into modern Greek. An important and attractive publication, sponsored by the States General of Holland to foster amity between the Greek and Reformed Churches. The modern Greek was prepared by the monk, Maximus of Gallipoli, and the edition was authorized by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril Lucarius, who contributed a Preface. The edition is reported to have consisted of some 1500 copies. The rationale behind the preparation of this text was much the same as the impetus leading to the publication by Elzevier of a modern Greek translation of the Dutch Reformed Catechism in 1648.