It’s amazing what a difference a typo can make to a story, particularly when it’s the word of God; it puts the price of the book up for a start, but it also has the potential to cause a whole lot of religious strife and marital mayhem along the way. The book in questionis a copy of the King James Bible printed in 1631; or should we say misprinted, for the Seventh Commandment states clearly “thou SHALT commit adultery”, offering up an out for sex addicts and cheaters everywhere. Known as the Sinner’s Bible, only 1,000 copies were ever printed and distributed and it took over a year before anyone noticed. Charles the First ordered the copies to be burnt, before stripping the printers of their license and imposing a heavy fine. Like all good scandals, a few survived and a copy went to auction in London in November fetching the mighty price of £44,000 for one lucky philanderer, who no doubt wants to hedge his bets on Judgment Day.
Thou Shalt What?
