The job of unpacking old boxes rarely unearths a priceless treasure.

But when volunteer Marion Blythman was tidying up at the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute she stumbled upon an unusual book she had not seen before: a 1585 version of the ‘Breeches’ Bible.

She had found the 400-year-old Bible of the Reformation: the Geneva version loved and quoted by Shakespeare; the book that changed the English language and allowed the Scriptures to be read by ordinary people for the first time.

It is called the Breeches Bible because in Genesis 3:7 Adam and Eve sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves ‘breeches’.

Look closely. What did Adam and Eve sew together with fig leaves?

Volunteer Roger Burrows, who specialises in research and antiquarian books, said the Breeches Bible is important as it was the first mechanically printed and mass-produced bible in English.

“Although it is Gothic English, the Bible is quoted by Shakespeare. It was also used by Calvin and Knox and Coverdale and accompanied the “Mayflower” to America,” Mr Burrows said.

The Institute is in discussions with Bible Society Australia about how best to preserve and display the book. It is now the oldest work among the 29,000 texts in the Institute’s collection and is generating significant interest from the public.

Records show that it was given to the Institute by a former archdeacon of Ballarat, J. Best, who served in that role from 1925 to 1950.

BMI Board member John Blythman said notes on pieces of paper with dates and births and deaths had been found in the Bible, indicating that it was a family Bible.

“This is such an important addition to our collection. With so many books within our heritage library this is a truly remarkable discovery,” Mr Blythman said.

The first Bible to have verse numbers and study guides, the Geneva Bible was widely used for private reading before it was overtaken by the King James Version in 1611; the world’s all time bestselling book that has never been out of print.

Bible Society Australia consultant Dr John Harris said the significance of the Geneva Bible is not in its beauty but in its historical importance as it “lead the Reformation that changed the world”.

It was the work of Protestant Reformers who had fled to Geneva to escape the persecutions under Mary Tudor. By the time it was published in 1560, Elizabeth was Queen and the Bible in English could be freely circulated.

It ran to 150 editions, and some footnotes were used for political purposes, for example ‘despot’ for ‘King’, a reference to Saul in the Old Testament.

“The Geneva Bible had long become a vehicle for divisive comment with anti-Papal and – what James was more concerned about – anti-monarchist remarks masquerading as doctrinal notes in the margins,” Dr Harris said.

“King James was not against the Bible. He loved the Bible. But he was against the politicising of the Bible which is what had started to happen in the margins of the Geneva Bible.”

“King James quite rightly wanted to get rid of the invectiveness.”