Rare King James Bible First Edition Discovered at Drew University

Drew University, founded in Madison, N.J., in 1867 as a Methodist seminary, is known for its unusually rich collection of rare books and manuscripts, including hundreds of historic Bibles, a 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle and extensive holdings relating to Willa Cather.  Now, a graduate student has discovered a treasure the library didn’t know it had: a first edition of the King James Bible.  The 1611 Bible, which surfaced in late October, is a so-called “He Bible,” named for a typographical error in the Book of Ruth that was corrected in the middle of the first printing. Of the fewer than 200 King James first editions known to survive, most are “She” copies.