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Where Are Gutenberg’s Bibles?
By Brett Nga
The German printer Johann Gutenberg is credited with the printing the on a hand made printing press using the movable type, in the year 1455. This was an important landmark as the publications could now be printed instead of being copied by hand, which happened to be a long as well as a tedious process. Also known as the 42 line these happen to be the most famous piece of printed material in the world.
There were originally 180 copies of the Gutenberg Bible. They were bound in leather in two volumes. The wealthy patrons around the European continent bought the most expensive of these printed on vellum. The rest of Gutenberg's were printed on a hemp based paper product that was considered to be not durable enough to stand the test of time.
Many of these are nowhere to be found. Only eleven complete copies of the 42 line bible and one complete version of the New Testament is known to exist. This version is on vellum. And, there are 48 other copies of Gutenberg's that were printed on the hemp based paper.
There are three perfect vellum copies still in existence. These are located in France, England, and the United States. In France, the complete vellum version is located in the Bibliotheque Nationale in the capital city of Paris. This massive library also houses a variety of rare and costly books. England’s copy of the complete vellum Gutenberg Bible is located in the country’s British Library in London. This library is home to a phenomenal collection of books, including original works by hometown hero, William Shakespeare. The third perfect vellum copy of the Gutenberg Bible is in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A fourth and final perfect vellum copy of the Bible rests in Goettigen, Germany’s Universitaetsbibliothek.
There
are more perfect copies on paper in existence. These copies are located in Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. There are approximately eighteen perfect copies in existence printed on the once controversial hemp based paper product.
One copy of Gutenberg's Bible is in Asia in the Keio University Library in Tokyo. It is an incomplete and imperfect copy, but nonetheless an important copy of the 42 line Bible. This Bible was purchased in 1987 for an exorbitant price of $4.9 million by the Maruzen Company of Tokyo, and presented to the University in 1996.
While traveling do not miss out on any of these imperfect copies of Bible that exist throughout the European continent in many universities, libraries and private collections.
If you are interested in seeing a copy—complete or incomplete—of a Gutenberg Bible, look to the World Wide Web. Many of these have been digitized and are available for viewing in the comfort of your own home. Look at the Gutenberg Bible census (http://clausenbooks. com/gutenbergcensus.htm) to find a Bible in an area near you or where you plan to travel. Brett Nga is the chief writer for, and editor of For Bibles it's one of the webs most up to date Bible sites, their free newsletter is well worth signing up for too. For more quality articles on Bible why not visit: www.forbibles.com/articles
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