Spanish Bible: Reina Valera 1995, Sociedad Bíblica Argentina Special Edition, Bound by Abba Bibles
Remember when the question of Spanish-language Bibles came up back in January? Today begins a series of posts highlighting some amazing editions of the Bible in Spanish, all from our friend Cristian Franco in Buenos, Aires. Each of these Bibles was magnificently bound by Abba Bibles in Mexico. I have a feeling they're going to be a new favorite around here. In each of these posts, I'll begin with Cristian's description, then share the photos. The captions are written by me. So with no further ado:
Spanish Bible Reina Valera 1995 -- Argentina Bible Society Special Edition
This Bible was made specially for the 175th Anniversary of the Sociedad Bíblica Argentina -- the Argentina Bible Society in English. They commissioned Abba Bibles in México to made only 175 copies of this edition, which sold for US $175 each (at the time when the Argentine peso was equal to US $1). So I bought copy #106, as you can see in one of the pictures below.
This edition is bound in calfskin with leather linings, red under gold page edges, and two ribbon markers. The binding is Smyth-sewn. Please, note the words "Hand Made Bible" imprinted in the leather.
The people at Argentina Bible Society office told me that the Argentine goverment bought two copies of this Bible as a gift for Princess Maxima of the Netherlands. (She is from Argentina, and married into the Dutch royal family.)
-- Cristian Franco
Above: The grain is beautiful, isn't it?
Above: Raised bands on the spine, very elegant.
Above: This limited edition celebrated the 175th anniversary of the Sociedad Bíblica Argentina. The abbreviation RVR 1995 indicates the translation.
Above: SBA = Sociedad Bíblica Argentina. A close-up of the grain.
Above: Number 106 out of a run of 175.
Above: I've heard that Crossway's Cordovan Calfskin editions are bound in Mexico. Looking at this photo and comparing it to my Cordovan Calfskin ESV, I begin to suspect where. There's certainly a similarity, don't you think?
Above: A look at the title page.
Above: Art-gilt ("red under gold") edges.
Above: Another angle on the page edges.
Above: Check out the semi-yapp edge.
Above: An interior spread.
Above: Again with the grain. I don't know about you, but I like a grainy surface.
Above: In the hand, where a Bible belongs.
Above: No slouch at the Bible yoga!
Above: I even like the box it comes in. Red is a favorite of mine, you know.
Above: Remember that mark. Biblias Abba. Handmade.
Thanks, Cristian, for sharing your amazing collection with us. There is more to come next week, so stay tuned, everybody!
J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.
Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.
Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.