NOAB 5th Edition- Spring 2018

The listing is up for the 5th edition of the venerable New Oxford Annotated Bible.  As usual, it will come in editions with or without the apocrypha/deuterocanonical books.  I have only seen the hardcover and paperback listings so far.  If they do a genuine leather edition, I hope it maintains the high quality of the 4th edition.  The biblical text will, once again, be the NRSV. 

Description:
For over 50 years students, professors, clergy, and general readers have relied on The New Oxford Annotated Bible as an unparalleled authority in Study Bibles. This fifth edition of the Annotated remains the best way to study and understand the Bible at home or in the classroom. This thoroughly revised and substantially updated edition contains the best scholarship informed by recent discoveries and anchored in the solid Study Bible tradition.

· Introductions and extensive annotations for each book by acknowledged experts in the field provide context and guidance. 
· Introductory essays on major groups of biblical writings - Pentateuch, Prophets, Gospels, and other sections - give readers an overview that guides more intensive study.
· General essays on history, translation matters, different canons in use today, and issues of daily life in biblical times inform the reader of important aspects of biblical study.
· Maps and diagrams within the text contextualize where events took place and how to understand them.
· Color maps give readers the geographical orientation they need for understanding historical accounts throughout the Bible.
· Timelines, parallel texts, weights and measures, calendars, and other helpful tables help navigate the biblical world.
· An extensive glossary of technical terms demystifies the language of biblical scholarship.
An index to the study materials eases the way to the quick location of information.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible, with twenty new essays and introductions and others-as well as annotations-fully revised, offers the reader flexibility for any learning style. Beginning with a specific passage or a significant concept, finding information for meditation, sermon preparation, or academic study is straightforward and intuitive.

A volume that users will want to keep for continued reference, The New Oxford Annotated Bible continues the Oxford University Press tradition of providing excellence in scholarship for the general reader. Generations of users attest to its status as the best one-volume Bible reference tool for any home, library, or classroom.

Physical Comparison of The Catholic Study Bible 1990 + 2016

Over the past few years, I have slowly been gifting away most of the bibles I have accumulated since this blog started in 2008.  Two bibles I have kept, however, are the 1990 and 2016 The Catholic Study Bible (CSB) published by Oxford University Press.  They represent the first and the most recent update in this venerable edition.  I am not going to spent that much time discussing the content in both of these bibles, but rather I am going to look at their physical and visual qualities.   However, as we get started, it is important to note that the 1990 edition contains the original 1970 NAB OT (including the original NAB Psalter) and the 1986 NAB revised NT.  The 2016 edition contains the now branded NABRE, with fully revised OT and 1986 revised NT.  (The 2016 edition is also important since it finally updated the extensive reading guides to reflect the NABRE OT, which was not reflected in the 2011 edition.)  The reading guides in both editions are a little under 600 pages in length, but the content is different reflecting updates to scholarship and translation.

The first thing you will notice is the size.  The 2016 is thicker than the original, even though its length is a tad bit shorter.  There are two reasons for this: The first is that the 2016 has considerably more study helps included compared to the original 1990.  When the original came out, it was praised for the extensive reading guides, essays, appendix materials, Sunday Lectionary Readings, and Oxford Maps that accompanied the NAB translation and notes.  Yet, times have changed and the demand for "more" in a study bible have continued to increase.  The newest edition contains all of what the previous edition had, but also more essays, full lectionary readings, updated Oxford Maps, concise concordance, and dozens of in-text mini-essays, charts, drawings, and maps.  The second reason for the size difference is that in the early 90's Oxford created their study bibles with generous margins.  I own the 1991 New Oxford Annotated Study Bible (NRSV) and it too has the same generous margins. 

The cover materials have also changed in the years since 1990, at least for these Catholic editions.  My 1990 CSB was bounded in genuine leather.  Being almost 27 years old, it still has a nice feel to it and continues to have no structural issues.  The sewn binding allows it to still lay open flat, just like it did when I first got it.  The 2016 is made of a fairly stiff bonded leather.  No genuine leather edition is available currently.  A genuine leather cover was not available for the previous edition as well.  Now, if you are suggesting that Oxford isn't doing quality genuine leather editions any more, I will point you to their most recent NOAB NRSV 4th Edition.  That is a beautifully crafted cover, which may be the nicest genuine leather cover I have ever held in my life.  So, it can be done.  The only reason I can think as to why Oxford hasn't done the CSB in genuine leather is the fact that Catholics simply don't buy premium bibles in the numbers that will allow most publishers to make a profit.  Over the many years of this blog, I hate to say it, but I think that remains true for the most part.  

Lastly, the differences in the page-layout are striking.  The 1990 has much more space to it and feels less confined and cramped.  The 2016, while still attractive to read from and enhanced by the many in-text maps, charts, and essays, just isn't as appealing compared to the original.  This, I know, is completely subjective, but I also feel the same way about how the page-layouts have progressed in the NOAB NRSV's as well, which in many ways parallel each other.  

Overall, these are two very different study bibles from Oxford.  Over the span of 26 years, the translations changed, twice, the reading guides were updated, more material was added, and the physical/visual quality morphed into something different.  If I were to sum it up in one sentence, it would be this: While the content improved in almost every way, the packaging of that content decreased in quality.  

As always, your thoughts?

YouTube Review of Oxford Catholic Study Bible (from my friend Paul)

Guest Review: Oxford Notre Dame NRSV-CE

Thank you to Rolf for this short guest review!  I have a similar edition, without the ND affiliation, in burgundy leather.  You can see that review here.

I saw this NRSV Bible on the Fans of the NRSV facebook group. It is published by Oxford University Press for Notre Dame and is sold through the Notre Dame bookstore.

It is a Catholic edition (Anglicanized) and has a navy blue genuine leather cover with a gold ND seal on the front cover. It is a nice size: 8 1/4 x 6 inches and has a well spaced approx. size 9 print. The text block appears to be sewn and has one gold ribbon marker. The paper though thin, controls bleed through very well.

This Notre Dame edition has 64 in text maps and 12 graphs in text. It has a concordance and a list of the Sunday and Weekday readings for Mass. Though it does not have references.  The cost is $75.00.  

This will be a Bible I will take to seminars and next weeks Religious Congress!

You can purchase this edition, via the ND Bookstore, here.  

Guest Review: The Catholic Study Bible NABRE (3rd Edition)

I would like to thank Steven for giving me permission to post his review of the Catholic Study Bible. Steven is Mormon, which makes this review very unique.  

Title: The Catholic Study Bible, Third Edition

Editors: Donald Senior, John Collins, and Mary Ann Getty

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Genre: Bible/Study Bible/New American Bible Revised Edition

Year Published: 2016

Number of Pages:  2560

Binding: Hardcover

Size: 6 1/4 X 9

ISBN10: 0199362777

ISBN13: 978-0199362776

Price: $49.99

Reviewed by Steven Ray Montgomery for the Association for Mormon Letters

I try to meet people on common ground, and search for ways that we can agree on, rather than differ. 

So, while I, as an active Latter-day Saint, have obvious and glaring disagreements with Paganism and the Pagan origins of Easter for example, at least I agree with them on the aspects of rebirth, new life, preservation of life, that accompany the Spring of the year. And I can celebrate those aspects in spite of other doctrinal differences.

I'm trying to treat the recently published Catholic Study Bible, Third Edition, in the same manner. First, the translation itself. The NAB (New American Bible) was a decades long work of 100 "scholars, including translators, editors, and a subcommittee of Catholic bishops who provided extensive review of the biblical text over" that period. A revision of the NAB then took place. The NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition) is the first major amendment to the New American Bible translation since 1991. It takes into account recent archaeological and textual discoveries. 

As to the common ground, mere belief in the Bible is an area of agreement between Catholics and Mormons. And the Catholic Church has been actively promoting Bible readership among its members, admitting that "biblical focus was lost" when "philosophical analysis" overwhelmed "biblical foundations."

But the Catholic Church is seeking to remedy that, this Catholic Study Bible being one of the tools to restore the balance. And as contained in the Reading Guide, "the purpose of this newly revised and updated Catholic Study Bible is to enable the reader to read the scriptures with new understanding and depth." The world sorely needs that understanding: Catholics, Mormons, the entire Protestant world, etc.

The Bible itself is a very handsome one. It comes with an almost six hundred page reading guide, which I found to be an excellent guide and introduction to the Bible as a whole, as well as each book contained within the Bible. The Reading Guide "leads the reader through the scriptures" and gives an extensive "treatment of the biblical background, . . . history and archaeology."  One thing I especially liked was the interconnection between the text of the Bible and the relevant pages of the Reading Guide. I also found myself mostly agreeing with the length, width, and breadth of the Biblical scholarship therein. Some differences over doctrine? Yes, but many areas of agreement.

The Bible is published by Oxford University Press and I found it to be a great resource, with study notes, essays on various topics, informative sidebars, etc. There is also a 15 page glossary of special terms, thirty-two full-color Oxford Bible maps with an extensive place-name index and a 100 page concise concordance. The maps, glossary, and place-name index are fabulous--I love to know where events take place in the Bible, their meaning, and their relationship to other places. These features alone make the Bible well worth the price. But there is also a table of weights and measures, an index to the reading guides, and, important to Catholics but I found it meaningful as well, a full listing of lectionary readings for Sundays, Holy days, and weekdays.

Incorporated into the text are 52 in-text maps and 18 side-bar essays and charts. I found these to be quite helpful.

One great feature of Catholic Study Bibles in general, and this one in particular, is the inclusion of apocryphal works missing in the Protestant canon such as the books of Baruch, Ben Sira, Tobit, and so forth, as well as extensive notes and commentary for these books.

In conclusion, this is an excellent study Bible. Any serious student of the Bible would be pleased to own one, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Mormon. This Mormon is pleased to own one.

Video Review: Catholic Study Bible 3rd Edition (bonded leather)

Oxford Catholic Study Bible Comparison

Thanks to a reader Daniel for providing this photo.  It is a comparison of the text of the Catholic Study Bible second versus third edition.  The second edition is on the right.

First Look: The Catholic Study Bible 3rd Edition (Bonded Leather)

First Look: The Catholic Study Bible (NABRE) 3rd Edition

Yesterday, I received a paperback edition of The Catholic Study Bible 3rd Edition, which appears to have been released about 10 days earlier than expected.  It has the same look and feel as the the 2nd edition (NABRE), which came out in 2011.  The big difference, of course, is that all the reading guides have been updated to reflect the NABRE OT translation.  Also, there are brand new reading guides for the Pentateuch, 1&2 Chronicles, 1&2 Maccabees, Lamentations, Baruch, Tobit, Judith, Mark, and Acts of the Apostles.  All of the other features found in the prior edition, like the New Oxford Maps, concordance, full lectionary readings, in-text maps and charts, are all present in this edition.  I think there may be a few more.  This is a fine edition and certainly worthy of your consideration.  My only complaint is that the bonded leather edition is $95, which is crazy.  The past two editions, including this one, have not come out in genuine leather, which is a shame since the NOAB 4th (NRSV) was produced in a very soft genuine leather.  Get on it Oxford!

Thank you to Oxford University Press for providing a review copy

Oxford University Press Sale

Oxford University Press is having a 30% off sale on all their titles this weekend only.  This includes all their NRSV, NABRE, and RSV bibles, including the soon-to-be-released The Catholic Study Bible 3rd Edition.  Here is a link you can use.

Cover and Amazon Listing for Catholic Study Bible (NABRE) Third Edition

The Amazon listing, for the paperback, is here.  It will be available also in hardback and bonded leather.  Why not genuine leather, like the NOAB 4th?  This is due to be released in March.

Below is the description:

This landmark resource, the first fully-based on the authoritative NABRE translation, contains the trustworthy study notes, expanded essays, and informational sidebars which have guided and informed students and general readers for 25 years. In this new edition, one-third of the Reading Guide materials are new, and all of the other Guides have been reviewed and revised by their original authors.

The extensive Reading Guide, the focal point of this volume, leads the reader through the Scriptures, book by book. References and background information are clearly laid out to guide the reader to a fuller understanding of the Bible. New to this edition is a more extensive treatment of the biblical background, including history and archeology.

Other outstanding features include: a 15-page glossary of special terms and complete Sunday and weekday lectionary readings for the liturgical years of the Church. Thirty-two beautiful pages of full-color Oxford Bible Maps come with a place-name index for easy reference.

Perfect for both higher education and clergy, Bible study and general readers, The Catholic Study Bible is an essential resource for both experienced students and first-time readers.

Table of Contents:
General Introduction - Donald Senior 
The Biblical Texts and Their Background - Donald Senior 
The Catholic Study Bible - Donald Senior 
The Bible in Catholic Life - Daniel J. Harrington 
Biblical History and Archeology: Old Testament - Ronald A. Simkins
Biblical History and Archeology: New Testament - Laurie Brink 
Catholic Interpretation of the Bible - Kevin Madigan 
The Challenges of Biblical Translation - Ronald D. Witherup 
The Bible in the Lectionary - Eileen Schuller

Reading Guides: Old Testament
The Pentateuch - Christopher Frechette 
The Deuteronomistic History - Leslie J. Hoppe 
The Chronicler's History - Richard Bautch 
The Later Histories - Kelley Coblentz Bautch 
The Wisdom Books - Dianne Bergant 
The Major Prophets, Baruch, and Lamentations - Katherine M. Hayes
Daniel and the Minor Prophets - John J. Collins

Reading Guides: New Testament
Matthew - Donald Senior
Mark - Susan Calef 
Luke - Pheme Perkins
John - Pheme Perkins 
Acts - Justin Taylor
Paul and His Writings - Mary Ann Getty and Carolyn Osiek
The General Letters and Revelation - Luke Timothy Johnson

OBOY: Thank You Pope Francis

A couple days back I posted an introduction Pope Francis wrote for the German edition of the YouCat Bible.  There were many great things he said in this introduction, but none more striking to me than what he wrote at the very beginning:

"If you could see my Bible, you would not be particularly impressed. What—that’s the Pope’s Bible? Such an old, worn-out book!  You could buy me a new one for $1,000, but I would not want it. I love my old Bible, which has accompanied me half my life. It has been with me in my times of joy and times of tears. It is my most precious treasure. I live out of it, and I wouldn’t give anything in the world for it."

When I read these words from the Holy Father, my mind immediately went back to the whole One Bible, One Year (OBOY) challenge.  It reminded me that I hadn't posted about how I was doing recently, so, now seems to be a good time to give you an update.  I also felt confirmed in partaking in this experiment.

Back when I started, I made a commitment to sticking with the NRSV translation.  Although there have been times during the past year when I have "flirted", a tad, with my beloved Knox bible, I can honestly say that I have stuck to the NRSV throughout this year.  (In a perfect world my Knox Bible would be "the one" but there are too many situations where it is simply not practical.  But oh how I do love that Bible!). What has it been like?  Well, after having spent 3/4 of the year with it, I am even more certain that the NRSV does a remarkable job of being useful in almost every situation.  It is literary, accurate, well-annotated, ecumenical, and just plain feels right to me when I read from it.  (If you would like to read more about why I prefer the NRSV, here is a link to a prior post.)  This does not mean, just to be clear, that I refrain from looking at other translations for study and work purposes.  I, of course, need to as part of my job.  Yes, there are many good translations out there, but the NRSV is the one I choose.

I also decided to use two editions of the NRSV: 1) NOAB NRSV '91, for use with study and teaching; 2) The Harper NRSV compact, for daily reading.  Throughout this year, I have been faithful to the NOAB for studying and teaching.  I still think it is an amazing edition, with concise and useful annotations and references, along with a generous print and margin.  I like this edition so much that it will likely be the next candidate for a rebind, since the cover is wearing out a tad.  (Remember, I purchased it used a couple years back.)   In regards to my daily reading Bible, some of you will remember that I had the Harper compact NRSV rebound.  One might think that means it has remained my daily reading bible this year, but it hasn't.  Another NRSV has come in (and out, and back in) to my life that I simply can't put down.  I first received it back in February from my friend Jason.  It is the Oxford NRSV (anglicized) Pocket Edition with Apocrypha in blue calfskin leather.  I cannot really explain to you why I have taken to this Bible, but I simply enjoy the feel and look of it.  it lays open flat, comes with three ribbons (which were added by Jason), and just has a remarkable feel to it.  It is simply a reading bible, with no annotations or maps.  Yet, like my Knox Bible, I have just grown to really love reading from it.  I have recently started a 90 Day New Testament reading plan, which I am doing with this Bible.  It has been great.  

So, there is where I am at.  How about you?  I know there are at least a couple of you still out there!  The comments by Pope Francis above have only solidified my desire to have one of those 50 year old Bibles that I wouldn't trade anything for.  This bible would serve as a companion, one which has been read and loved over a long period of time, accompanying me on my journey to the Lord.  Yet, this journey has to start somewhere. For me, I am feeling ever so confident that my journey began in 2015.  How about you?

The Catholic Study Bible NABRE (Third Edition)

Thank to Lenny, who spotted a possible release of the third edition of The Catholic Study Bible on the OUP website.  It appears to be scheduled for a February publication date, in paperback, hardcover, and bonded leather.

Edited by Donald Senior, John Collins, and Mary Ann Getty

• One-third of the Reading Guides are new

• All remaining Reading Guides reviewed or revised by the original authors

• New essay on Archaeology and the New Testament

• Extensive Reading Guide leads the reader through the Scriptures, book by book.

• Contains a 15-page glossary of special terms and complete Sunday and weekday lectionary readings for the liturgical years of the Church

• Includes 32 pages of full-color Oxford Bible Maps come with a place-name index

This landmark resource, the first fully-based on the authoritative NABRE translation, contains the trustworthy study notes, expanded essays, and informational sidebars which have guided and informed sudents and general readers for 25 years. In this new edition, one-third of the Reading Guide materials are new, and all of the other Guides have been reviewed and revised by their original authors. 

The extensive Reading Guide, the focal point of this volume, leads the reader through the Scriptures, book by book. References and background information are clearly laid out to guide the reader to a fuller understanding of the Bible. New to this edition is a more extensive treatment of the biblical background, including history and archaeology.

Other outstanding features include: a 15-page glossary of special terms and complete Sunday and weekday lectionary readings for the liturgical years of the Church. Thirty-two beautiful pages of full-color Oxford Bible Maps come with a place-name index for easy reference.

A Leonard's Fix-Up: RSV-CE (Oxford)

A number of years back, I highlighted the thinline qualities of an Oxford RSV-CE readers edition, which is now out-of-print.  Because it didn't have cross-references, I copied a page of the "Old Testament references in the New Testament" chart and adhered it to the back end pages.  I ended up using it for a few months but discovered that there was a problem with it.  The binding, around the Pastoral Letters, was beginning to come loose.  I was disappointed by this and simply put this Bible away.  After the flood we had last August, I found it in a box that had miraculously survived.  I remembered the issue I had with it, so again I put it a side.  A month or two back, I decided to have it fixed up by the fine folks at Leonard's.  I have had two bibles rebound them, including my beloved Knox, so I thought about seeing what they could do with this one.  I wanted to keep the pacific duvelle cover, which I always enjoyed, but there were a series of other things I wanted done: 1) Tighten the sewing in the back, located primarily around the Pastorals; 2) Remove all glossy pages in the front; 3) Recast the book in the same cover; 4) Remove ribbon and add 3 navy ribbon markers.

Here are the before pictures:

And here are some pictures of what Leonard's did:

In the end, they did a great job at a reasonable price.  Again, if you are looking to have a bible rebound or fixed, go to Leonard's.

Now, if you made it all the way down here, I would like to offer you an opportunity to have this great Bible.  The is available for anyone in Canada or the United States.  You have until this Sunday, July 10th, at 11:59 PM to enter.  You must answer this question in the comments of this blog: What one passage of Scripture describes your faith and why?  One entry per person.  Please make sure to put a name at the end of your answer, particularly if you post anonymously.  I will announce the winner on Monday.  The winner has one week to contact me.

Info on Large-Print RSV's

Thanks to reader Keith for providing this info:

With my aging eyes, I decided that I really needed to obtain a large print Bible and decided to go with the RSV-CE Large Print.  The Oxford bonded leather 9780195288728 is apparently OOP, but I thought the Ignatius bonded leather 9781586172855 was the same thing but bound by Ignatius, and I also had the suspicion that the Scepter bonded leather 9781594170768 was the same thing bound by Scepter.

I ordered the Scepter ISBN from an Amazon seller (best price--like $10 less than the Ignatius) and when it arrived, I discovered that while the box was almost identical to the Oxford box, just printed with Scepter imprint, the actual Bible in the box was not bound by Scepter at all--it was the Oxford, imprinted Oxford, just sold in a Scepter box.  A pleasant surprise.

Update to the Reading Guides for the Catholic Study Bible?

I pose this question because I was in an email conversation with a reader of this blog who had mentioned that his edition of The Catholic Study Bible NABRE seems to have been updated.  Looking back at an older post on this subject, he pointed out that "the 'cereal offering' you mentioned on pg. 128 is "grain offering" for me. They had to have updated the reading guide."

Has anyone purchased a CSB recently and can confirm this?  If so, do you have the hardcover or bonded leather?

Oxford NRSV (anglicized) Pocket Edition with Apocrypha in blue calfskin

Last week I mentioned my struggle with finding a reading Bible and alluded to a different Bible that I was now planning to use.  Well, this is the one I was speaking about, and I couldn't be happier.  

The Oxford NRSV (anglicized) Pocket Edition with Apocrypha in blue calfskin from 1998 is not an easy Bible to find these days.  I was blessed that my friend Jason offered his edition to me, since it has been out of print for a while now.  The edition that Oxford offers today does not come in the same cover material, although the page-layout is similar.  Last year, I reviewed the original NRSV w/Apocrypha compact in black genuine leather from Oxford, which I claimed was one of my favorite editions.  It remains so, but this one is much better.  The leather on the '98 edition is calfskin, which has an amazing feel and look to it.  This compact, in contrast to the older edition, also opens flat. The only thing I wish was included in this edition, but was included in the original, are the Oxford Bible maps.  I have no idea why they wouldn't include them, particularly in a Bible bound in premium leather.  Oh well, nothing ever is perfect.   (By the way, the 3 brand new wine-red ribbons were added by its previous owner, which I am grateful for!)

I hope you enjoy some of these pictures:

OUP's NRSV w/ Apocrypha (Genuine Leather)

Premium Bibles that a Catholic can utilize remain an endangered species, as you know.  So, from time to time, I like to point out an edition that some of you might enjoy purchasing.  Today, I want to show you an early (mid-90's) edition Oxford University Press NRSV w/ Apocrypha in black genuine leather.  Over at discountbible.com, it is currently available in both black and burgundy genuine leather for only $49.95.

This is a very nice reading Bible, which also has a lovely feel and look to it.  The text is the standard NRSV, not the anglicised edition.  The page-layout is very clean, without any paragraph headings.  For a reading Bible like this, I think that is a good thing.  There is, however, at the bottom of each page a short few words indicating the main event or message of that page.  While the genuine leather is not exceptional, it is truly genuine leather and actually feels like it.  The binding is sewn, which will provide a lifetime of reading, as well as making it a good candidate for having it rebound in a more premium leather if so desired.  Some other highlights of this Bible are the two ribbon markers and gold edges, along with full-color Oxford Maps and generous ninety-six page concise concordance.

As usual, my only complaint with most NRSV editions is the complete lack of cross-references.  This continues here and remains to be a major issue which plagues the NRSV.  Someone will surely correct this at some point right?  Maybe even in a Catholic edition?  (Yes, I am aware of the Cambridge NRSV Reference Bible w/Apocrypha.)

A few weeks back a friend gifted me this same Bible, but in an early edition.  That early edition, which dated to the time of the NRSV's first publication, is almost identical, minus the inclusion of the concise concordance.  So, if this is a Bible you might like, I'd recommend you pick one up soon.  It makes not only a fine reading Bible, but also a gift for Christmas.  It also comes in a really nice box!

Oxford NABRE Large Print

As has been mentioned on this blog on numerous occasions, we Catholics do not have anywhere near the number of quality, premium leather Bibles that our Protestant brothers and sisters do.  I dare say that we may have a handful at best.  The NABRE, like the other Catholic translations, can be found in plenty of paperback and hardcover editions, not to mention what seems like an infinite number of pseudo and imitation leather editions.  One would think that of all the Catholic translations, the NABRE, since it sold by a number of different publishers would, but alas that is not the case.

There is, however, one company that has produced the NABRE in genuine leather, that being Oxford University Press.  In the past, they have offered genuine leather NAB's in their study bibles, compact editions, readers editions, and large print ones.  When the NABRE was published back in 2011, I was expecting the same treatment.  Except for the large print version, this has yet to happen.

As a matter of fact, I was truly looking forward to the readers edition of the NABRE, much like the NAB, but they seem to not have bothered even publishing one.  Which is a real shame, since the text was extremely readable, with the notes and cross-references delegated to the back of each biblical book.  Therefore, it was an edition that would be perfect for spiritual reading and lectio divina.

The Catholic Study Bible seems to have also received very little attention.  Not only has it not been updated in its reading guides, but it is not available in genuine leather either.  All previous editions had been, which is a real shame.

So, this leads me to the NABRE Large Print from Oxford, which is covered in a marbled genuine leather.  It isn't the smooth and flexible one that they covered the NOAB NRSV 4th Edition in, but it is actually genuine leather and not bonded.   It is almost identical to the genuine leather RSV-CE readers edition that came out about 10 years ago.  Dei Verbum is included with the biblical text and the notes/cross-references. The box it came in, as well as some sellers, mention that the full lectionary readings are included, this is not the case.  The compact NABRE and the Catholic Study Bible editions do contain all weekday and Sunday lectionary readings.

The binding is also sewn.  As you can see with the photos, the text is very readable, the notes and cross-references being placed at the back of each book.  This makes it good for prayerful reading or for teaching. The gold gild edges give it a classy look to it, as well as the gold ribbon marker.  Some people don't like the Oxford tabs, but I think they are just fine.

Overall, this may be one of the nicest NABRE bibles in print.   I would dare say that it may be the most luxurious, if I may say so, Catholic bible in print today.  The only bibles that would come would be from Baronius Press, that being either their Knox or Douay editions.  The NRSV's from HarperOne are close, but unfortunately they are often printed on super-thin paper and wrapped in cheap imitation leather.

So, if you are looking for a genuine leather Catholic Bible, without having it rebound, I'd recommend this edition.

An Opening: Oxford NRSV w/ Apocrypha Compact Genuine Leather

I love this compact!  I really do!  It just may be my favorite.  It came out among the first offerings of the NRSV by Oxford.  It is officially known as the New Revised Standard Bible, Pocket Edition, No 9614A, Black With Apocrypha.  The leather is indeed genuine leather.  It has a nice soft feel.  It is not as soft and supple as Oxford's NOAB NRSV 4th Edition, but it has a real nice feel to it. I purchased this edition from a helpful used bookstore.  As you will see, it came in its original box, wrapped in paper, and was accompanied by an old-school pamphlet about caring for your Bible.  The print is darker than some of the later compact editions of the NRSV.  The pages correspond to all other NRSV edition published by Oxford at that time.  In addition, it comes with 5 color New Oxford Maps.  There is also a nice presentation page.