The Sacred Books of the Old Testament. Edited by Paul Haupt. A Critical Edition of the Hebrew Text Printed in colors, with Notes

(BIBLE)

Johns Hopkins

Baltimore

1896

Limited edition of 120 copies, signed and numbered. PRESENTATION COPY TO HIS MAJESTY WILHELM II, König von Württemberg, gilt stamped on covers in German. Polychromy by J.G. Fritzche. Hebrew with copious English notes. Hebrew text color-coded (see below)

Kaiser Wilhelm’s Copy of "The Polychrome Bible." The Polychrome Bible was hailed to be “the greatest literary undertaking of the century.” The editors subscribed to the Documentary Hypothesis; the color-coding was to indicate their view of the final redaction of the Bible. Paul Haupt (1858-1926) was Professor of Semitic Languages at Johns Hopkins University from 1883 until his death. Haupt was also Professor Extraordinarius at the University of Göttingen and for many years divided his time between Germany and the U.S. One of Haupt’s very first students at Hopkins was Cyrus Adler, prominent American Jewish leader, who became an Assistant Professor of Semitics at the University in 1890. See EJ, Vol. VII, cols. 1475-6; Vol. II, cols. 272-4