Latin Bible with Book of Genesis - Regum (Kings) 1489

6B Latin Bible. Biblia Latina cum postillis Nicolai de Lyra. (Volume One) Venice: Ottaviano Scoto, 8 August 1489.

Notes

The Biblia Latina cum postillis Nicolai de Lyra is a medieval Latin Bible accompanied by the influential biblical commentaries (postillae) of Nicholas of Lyra (c. 1270–1349), a Franciscan scholar whose work became one of the most important aids to biblical interpretation in the late Middle Ages. First widely printed in the 15th century during the incunabula period, these editions typically present the biblical text surrounded by Lyra’s explanations, which emphasized the literal and historical meaning of Scripture and made extensive use of Hebrew sources. Lyra’s commentaries were so respected that they shaped Christian exegesis for centuries and directly influenced later reformers, including Martin Luther, making the Biblia Latina cum postillis a landmark in the history of biblical scholarship and the transition from medieval to early modern biblical study.

This edition was often published in large, multi-volume sets during the late medieval and early Renaissance periods. The commentaries by Nicholas of Lyra were highly valued for their depth and clarity, influencing later scholars, including Martin Luther. Early printed editions of the Biblia Latina cum Postillis were among the earliest and most comprehensive annotated Bibles, reflecting the transition from manuscript culture to the printed book era following the invention of the printing press. It is a good example of an illustrated edition of the bible published on Italian territory. 

Description

Folio Size. Rebound in twentieth century. Half leather with wooden plank plates, three-ribbed spine with dry fillets crossed in the compartments. Gothic font, two columns per page. 74 lines of commentary surrounding the text. Woodcut illustrations throughout, one of which is a full page. Includes woodcut illustration of oxen baptismal font in the book of Kings. Hand painted elements on first printed page. Some irrelevant woodworm holes on the first and last leaves. Two stains on the last page.

Dimensions: 14.5” x 10” x 2.5”