SCRIPTURE CONVERSATION, Illustrative of the Old Testament. Calculated to instruct Youth in the first principles of Sacred History. - 1834

24 printed cards [9.5 x 5.4 cm] including 12 question cards printed in red and 12 Answer cards printed in black; a folding printed sheet of instructions; contained in the original wooden box (two sides very skilfully replaced); sliding lid with printed title label depicting a seated Moses reading from the Tablets. The game is intended for six players who are each provided with a piece of scrap paper called 'Contracts'. The Answer cards are dealt to the players and the Question cards retained by the dealer. The players each examine their aAswer card they have been given after which the dealer selects a question card and lays it down in front of the players and then asks each in turn until the Answer card is produced. If no answer is forthcoming then the dealer refers to a 'key' which matches questions to the correct answers. Whoever reads the wrong answer or fails to recognise they have the correct card in their hand forfeits a Contract. The player who has parted with the fewest Contracts is the winner. Questions include 2) 'What time did God employ in forming the Creation?' the Answer 'Six days: and rested on the seventh day. We are not to suppose by this expression that God was weary and required rest, but that he rested from, or left off creating.' 16) 'Who is supposed to have arranged and published the Old Testament?' Answer 'Ezra, a priest of the Jews.Some of the answers stray into the New Testament and are also fearsomely long for children to remember:- 15) 'How did the Jews forfeit the favour of God; and will they ever regain it?' Answer 'They forfeited the divine favour, but their obstinate rejection of the Son of God, whose pure doctrine of humility and love was in direct opposition to the worldly pomp and glory, which they had falsely led themselves to expect at the coming of Christ. It is predict that they will one day acknowledge Christ as the Messiah, and be restored to their former privileges' One has to admit there is quite a lot of anti Jewish feeling in many of the Answer cards reinforcing contemporary prejudices - 22) 'In reading the Bible, what part may be passed over, in order to connect the historical records?' - Answer 'You may be allowed to pass over the book of Leviticus, and the eight first chapters of the book of Numbers. The books of Chronicles may be read as a repetition of the book of Kings, both bring you to the Babylonish Captivity; you then pursue the History of the Jews, and read to the end of Esther. The writings of the Prophets, as connected with the History of the Bible, should be read next. The book of Job, the Psalms, &. are beautiful compositions, and may be read as such at any time.'Produced by the short lived partnership of William Mason Wood, a typefounder and shareholder in the Austin Letter Foundry in Aldergate, and Kilelm Chandler, a printer from Tewkesbury who had recently moved to London and married in 1834. The partnership in Beech street was a few hundred yards from the Austin Letter foundry and as far as we can tell lasted as a business for only a few months before it was dissolved in October 1834. Chandler was successively a printer, Station Master, Compositor and latterly, a Fruitier. We have found no other item issued from their partnership and one feels as a product of their business the cards were a commercial failure.