With the help of numerous English bishops and under the direction of Matthew Parker, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was dissatisfied with the Geneva Bible and its anti-Catholic rhetoric, the Bishop’s Bible was published in 1568. This Bible utilized previous English translations but also offered original Biblical scholarship, particularly with the Greek New Testament. The Bishop’s Bible contained the best illustrations of any English Bible up to that point in history, and Elizabeth I expected it to be housed in every cathedral in the realm. Interestingly, the paper for the New Testament is of greater quality than the Old Testament because Parker knew that the New Testament would be used and consulted more often.
