Where can I find a nice Bible for a gift?

May 24, 2006 11:05 AM

A friend whose birthday is approaching would love a very nice King James Bible. Does anyone have a recommendation for a nice, possibly leather-bound KJV Bible, perferably between $50 and $100?
posted by xorowo to Religion & Philosophy (14 answers total)

Your best bet may be to look in the yellow pages for a bible store and take a first-hand look at what they have available.
posted by BradNelson at 11:10 AM on May 24, 2006

What religion or church (if any) does your friend belong to? Some religions publish their own Bibles, including KJV versions with religion-specific annotations (mine does, for example). If your friend belongs to a church that does that, it's probably a good idea to seek out one of those versions, and his/her church may have some sort of distribution network for that sort of thing (mine does, for example).
posted by JekPorkins at 11:23 AM on May 24, 2006

Response by poster: He's actually Baha'i and interested in the Bible as a general religious concept, not as part of a specific Christian denomination.
posted by xorowo at 11:29 AM on May 24, 2006

This Cambridge University Press edition is nice, and on sale for under $100.

It also notes you can purchase it through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
posted by MasonDixon at 11:50 AM on May 24, 2006

For someone who's interested primarily in the Bible as literature, I strongly recommend the edition of the King James Bible that's illustrated by Barry Moser. Moser's style and his choice of scenes to illustrate combine to make an interesting running commentary, and the art (relief engravings, over 200 of them) is stunning. The text is formatted into paragraphs instead of numbered verses, making the book seem like a text to be read for pleasure instead of merely studied. And the design of the book itself is among the very best I own.
posted by Prospero at 12:10 PM on May 24, 2006

Get an antique bible, they are usually very beautiful and reasonably priced.
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 12:13 PM on May 24, 2006

Supporting JekPorkins point above, here is a nice, large print, leatherbound, tabbed and indexed KJV Bible put out by the LDS church for $44.
posted by bove at 12:34 PM on May 24, 2006

You can also get a Free Bible from the LDS church (but I don't think it is leather).
posted by bove at 12:38 PM on May 24, 2006

Just keep in mind that an LDS bible, while being the KJV, also includes annotations (footnotes, an index, and a Bible Dictionary) that reference LDS doctrine, and draw on and reference other LDS scripture. That could give interesting insight into LDS beliefs, but some people might not be all that interested in those footnotes, etc.
posted by JekPorkins at 12:59 PM on May 24, 2006

Christian Book Distributors has lots of KJV Bibles.
posted by clh at 1:03 PM on May 24, 2006

Whatever you do, make sure that it has a good concordance.
posted by Good Brain at 1:22 PM on May 24, 2006

LifeWay Christian Stores has a broad selection. But I second the "antique Bible."
posted by bamassippi at 1:26 PM on May 24, 2006

Seconding Prospero's Barry Moser Bible recommendation. I have it, the illustrations are really lovely, the typography is great, it has two ribbon bookmarks, etc.
posted by xueexueg at 1:55 PM on May 24, 2006

Thompson Chain Reference Bible

For those who wish to study. I've had mine for decades.
posted by Goofyy at 6:38 AM on May 26, 2006