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Where are Gutenberg’s Bibles?

By: Brett Nga

The Gutenberg Bible is by far the most famous piece of printed material in the world. In 1455, German printer Johann Gutenberg began printing these Bibles on a hand made printing press using movable type. Also known as 42 line Bibles, these historic manuscripts mark an important time in history where publications could be mass produced instead of painfully hand copied.

Gutenberg originally printed 180 copies of the Bible, which were bound in leather in two volumes and sold to wealthy patrons around the European continent. The most expensive of these Bibles were printed on vellum. The rest of Gutenberg’s Bibles were printed on a controversial hemp based paper product that many believed would not withstand the test of time.

Many of these Bibles 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 Bibles that were printed on the hemp based paper.

There are three perfect vellum copies still in existence. These Bibles 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.

Apart from the copies that were printed on vellum, there were also certain copies that are available on paper. There are about eighteen of these perfect copies that were published on hemp based paper product. These copies are located in Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.

One of the versions of the Gutenberg's Bible is also present in Asia in Tokyo's Keio University Library. This Bible happens to be an imperfect copy that was printed on the hemp-based paper. It was purchased for a whopping amount of $4.9 million by the Maruzen Company of Tokyo. In the year 1996 this Bible was given to the University.

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.

You can also see the complete or incomplete versions of a Gutenberg Bible, on the World Wide Web from the comfort of your home. They have been digitized and are available for viewing. If you want to find a Bible in an area near you or where you plan to travel, go to the Gutenberg Bible census (http://clausenbooks.com/gutenbergcensus.htm).

Article Source: http://www.article-voip.com

Brett Nga is the chief writer for, and editor of For Bibles it's one of the webs most up to date Bible sites, why not sign up for the free Bible newsletter. For more quality articles on Bible why not visit: www.forbibles.com/articles

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