Landmark exhibition celebrates 500 years of Tyndale's revolutionary translation
One of only a handful of surviving copies of William Tyndale's 1536 New Testament is now on display at The Faith Museum, Bishop Auckland
One of the world’s rare surviving copies of William Tyndale’s New Testament – the book that changed the course of English history – is now on display in Bishop Auckland as part of a new exhibition marking the 500th anniversary of its publication.
Running at The Faith Museum until December 31, Light and Fire: 500 Years of Tyndale’s New Testament will tell the remarkable story of the scholar whose determination to make the Bible accessible to ordinary people ultimately cost him his life.
At the heart of the exhibition will be one of only a handful of known surviving copies of Tyndale’s 1536 New Testament, making The Faith Museum the only venue in the North East where visitors will be able to see an edition produced during Tyndale’s lifetime in this anniversary year.
Today, the idea of reading the Bible in English is taken for granted. Five centuries ago, however, it was considered an act of defiance.
Working from the original Hebrew and Greek texts rather than the Latin editions authorised by the Church, Tyndale produced the first English translation of the New Testament to be printed. Forced to work in secret while living abroad, his books were smuggled into England hidden in bales of cloth after Church authorities banned them.
Among those determined to suppress the translation was Cuthbert Tunstall, then Bishop of London and later Bishop of Durham, who publicly burned copies outside St Paul’s Cathedral in 1526. Tyndale himself was eventually executed for heresy, being strangled before his body was burned at the stake.
Despite attempts to destroy every copy, a small number survived, ensuring his work would outlive those who sought to silence it.
The exhibition explores not only Tyndale’s extraordinary personal story but also the lasting impact of his translation on everyday English. Familiar phrases including the apple of his eye, eat, drink and be merry, the signs of the times, let there be light and give up the ghost all entered common usage through his pioneering work.
Alongside the rare New Testament, visitors will be able to see a collection of sixteenth-century Bibles tracing how Tyndale’s once-forbidden translation gradually became accepted as access to scripture in English spread across the country during the Reformation.
Dr Lydia Prosser, curator at The Auckland Project, said: “This is a unique opportunity for visitors to see a rare edition of a book that changed the course of history. We’re excited to showcase our copy of Tyndale’s New Testament in an exhibition that presents the turbulent context in which it was produced and explores its continued relevance 500 years later.”
Clare Baron, head of curatorial at The Auckland Project, added: “In Western Europe the Bible was only widely available in Latin, unintelligible to many.
“Translations were banned in England. But William Tyndale believed that Christians should have direct access the word of God in the Bible, writing that the Church restricted its translation in order ‘to keep the world still in darkness’. With the publication of this small book, Tyndale helped to pave the way for the Reformation in England.”
The Faith Museum opened in 2023 as part of The Auckland Project. Through more than 250 objects spanning 6,000 years, the museum explores the role faith has played in shaping Britain’s history, culture and communities.
Light and Fire: 500 Years of Tyndale’s New Testament runs until December 31 at The Faith Museum with a programme of accompanying events taking place throughout the exhibition.