With The day after Domesday, Jack P. Lewis brings a hitherto lacking coherence to an area of Elizabethan scholarship. This short study explores an under-studied Bible translation produced at a fascinating juncture of the English Reformation. Lewis's analysis of the Bishops' Bible of 1568 is a synthesis of material from established archival collection sources, printed catalogues and biographical databases, the collection and organisation of which will serve as an important starting point for those interested in Elizabethan biblical scholarship. Lewis's study first places the origin of the Bishops' Bible within its historical context, and its lineage among other English Bibles. Next, Lewis moves to establish the contributors to the Bible, providing a short prosopography of its translators and editors. Each translator is considered in brief biographical terms establishing its numerous contributors. Thereafter, injunctions, visitation articles and churchwardens' accounts are addressed, often patching together inconclusive surviving evidence to form a coherent narrative of parochial engagement with the new translation. Lewis's consideration of the Bishops' Bible turns next to the traces of the Bishops' Bible in the works of William Shakespeare, and its importance during the English colonial years in America. Finally, Lewis details the illustrations and artwork in the Bishops' Bible: thirty-seven figures aid the reader's journey through this translation. A short statement on title page borders, illustrations, initial letters and coats of arms provides resources for scholars and encourages further exploration. These chapters establish the Bishops' Bible in its historical and social context, and provide an informative platform from which further scholarship will be launched. This platform is bolstered by a succinct summary conclusion to complete the work. Whilst indicating the lack of scholarship relating to the Bishops' Bible, Lewis, unfortunately, engages only sparingly with the seminal works of Elizabethan and English biblical scholarship, missing an opportunity to contribute more to a wider scholarly narrative. However, The day after Domesday provides a foundational reference point and will do much to inspire further research on the topic, which is now ably introduced, but continues to represent an opportunity for scholars.
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