Religious education was a high priority in children's education from the medieval period well into the 20th century. The first hieroglyphic Bibles were published in 1675. Others appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries. The famous wood engraver Thomas Bewick produced a series of wood cuts for one of these curiosities.

In these Bibles, some of the words are removed and an image substituted instead. The child is thus presented with a puzzle and if he knows his Bible texts well enough he can read the combined text and pictures with little difficulty. To help those less familiar, the answer is provided at the bottom of the page. Because of the space required for the images, only a much reduced text was possible.

Some of the images could be difficult to interpret, but the book had an advantage for children in that it would be one of the few they would be allowed to read on Sunday.

This copy is inscribed 'Reginald Ward the gift of his affectionate Papa'.

Field, E. M. The child and his book: some account of the history and progress of children's literature in England, Detroit: Singing Tree Press, 1968

Thwaite, M. F. From primer to pleasure in reading: an introduction to the history of children's books in England from the invention of printing to 1914, ..., London: Library Association, 1972

Whalley, Joyce Irene. Cobwebs to catch flies: illustrated books for the nursery and schoolroom, 1700-1900, London: Elek, 1974

American treasures of the Library of Congress: Imagination. A curious hieroglyphick Bible

Kid Print: A curious hieroglyphick Bible