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Bonham's
UK News

400-year-old Bible encouraging adultery set to sell for £15,000

by Aaron James

The King James is one of only nine remaining which says "Thou shalt commit adultery", missing out the word "not".

It is unknown whether the mistakes was an accident or deliberate, but it is believed to have been purposeful in order to get the King's royal printers - commissioned with manufacturing Bibles at the time - into trouble.

The printers, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, were fined the equivalent of £30,000 for the error, deprived of their printing license and thrown into prison.

Simon Roberts, the books specialist at Bonham's auction house where the Bible is to be sold, told Premier: "There are one or two other Bibles which have misprints in which have become collectible... although I think this particular one has a much more emotive side to it.

"I'd rather tend to think it wasn't just a mistake. It seems odd that it wouldn't have been spotted at the time. It's the most obvious few lines in the Bible really to check and make sure that you got right.

"There's definitely a lesson to make sure you proofread everything very carefully."

The so-called Sinner's Bible is to be sold at Bonham's auction house on November 11th.

Listen to Premier's Aaron James speaking to Simon Roberts here:

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