Not just a book: Why the Gutenberg Bible is still relevant 500 years after it was printed

NEW YORK – It’s not just a book.

When the Bible became the first major work in Europe to be printed using movable metal type in the 1450s, Johannes Gutenberg was a man with a plan.

The German inventor decided to make the most of his new technology – the movable type printing press – by producing an unprecedented version of the Holy Scriptures for wealthy clients who could interpret Latin: leaders of the Catholic Church.

He had originally planned to print 150 Bibles, but due to increasing demand he produced 30 more copies, bringing the total to 180. Of what are now known as “Gutenberg Bibles,” about 48 complete copies still survive.

No Bible is known to be in private hands. In the United States, a paper Bible can be seen in the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. Two other parchment copies lie in the underground vaults alongside 120,000 other books.

Why should anyone – religious or not – feel compelled to take a closer look at a Gutenberg Bible? Here’s how its printing influenced the book’s history and the religious landscape. And what a 500-year-old book can still reveal.

This term refers to the two-volume Bibles that were printed in Gutenberg’s workshop around the year 1454.

Before that, all existing Bibles were copied by hand. The process could take up to a year, says John McQuillen, assistant curator of the Morgan Library. Gutenberg, on the other hand, is said to have completed his work in about six months.

Each Gutenberg Bible has nearly 1,300 pages and weighs about 60 pounds. It is written in Latin and printed in double columns, with 42 lines per page.

Most were printed on paper. Some others on animal skin.

When a Bible was printed, only the black letters were printed. Hand decorations and bindings were added later, depending on the taste and budget of each buyer.

Some decorations were added in Germany. Others appeared in France, Belgium or Spain.

Therefore, every Gutenberg Bible is unique, said McQuillen.

Gutenberg’s invention led to massive reproduction of complete copies of biblical texts.

The first impact was among scholars and learned priests, who had easier access than ever before, says Richard Rex, professor of Reformation history at Cambridge University.

“This massive dissemination even led to the term ‘Bible’ (Biblia) being used more and more to describe the book,” Rex said. “Medieval authors and others sometimes speak of ‘the Bible’, but more often of ‘Holy Scripture.'”

Psychologically, Rex said, the appearance of the printed text – its regularity, precision and uniformity – contributes to a tendency to resolve theological arguments by reference to the biblical text alone.

Later, the printing of Bibles in vernacular languages ​​– especially with Luther’s Bible (early 1520s) and Tyndale’s New Testament (mid-1520s) – influenced the way ordinary church members related to religion and the clergy.

Because of the limited ability to read and write, the Bible was still not widely accessible. But gradually the religious leaders stopped focusing on interpreting the Bible.

“The phenomenon of lay people questioning or interpreting the Bible text became more common from the 1520s onwards,” Rex said. “Although the early Protestant Reformers such as Luther stressed that they were not trying to create an interpretive ‘freedom for all,’ this was probably the predictable consequence of their reference to ‘Scripture alone.'”

Three times a year, a curator from the Morgan Library turns a page of the Gutenberg Bible on display. The pages tell not only the story of the Holy Scripture, but also that of its owners.

A few years ago, by examining the hand-carved initials, McQuillen was able to discover the origin of the decoration: a defunct German monastery.

In the 2000s, a Japanese researcher discovered small markings on the surface of the paper edition of the Old Testament. Her findings showed that these sheets were used by Gutenberg’s successors for their own edition, which was printed in 1462.

“No matter how many times the Gutenberg Bible has been looked at, it seems that every time a researcher sets foot on it, something new can be discovered,” McQuillen said.

“This book has existed for 500 years. Who are the people who have touched it? How can we talk about these personal stories and at the same time have the bigger picture of what printing technology means on a European or global level?” he asked.

Among the thousands of Bibles that JP Morgan acquired, the owners made various annotations: individual names, dates of birth, details that reflect a personal story behind them.

“A Bible is now like a book on the shelf,” said McQuillen. “But in the past, it was a very personal object.”

“In a museum they become art and a little distant, but we try to reduce that distance.”

Associated Press religion coverage is supported by a collaboration with The Conversation US and funded by the Lilly Endowment.