Martin Luther Bible 1649

6B Martin Luther Bible. Amsterdam: Joachim Nosche, 1649.

Notes

The history of the printing of the Bible is closely tied to the invention of the movable-type printing press in Europe. Before printing, Bibles were copied by hand, usually in Latin, making them rare, expensive, and accessible mainly to clergy and scholars. This changed dramatically around 1455 when Johannes Gutenberg printed the Gutenberg Bible in Mainz, Germany. It was the first major book produced using movable metal type and marked the beginning of mass-produced books in the West. Printing allowed the Bible to be reproduced more quickly, cheaply, and consistently, leading to wider distribution and literacy. Over time, Bibles were increasingly printed in vernacular languages rather than Latin, which helped spread religious ideas more broadly and played a major role in the religious, cultural, and intellectual transformations of early modern Europe.

Martin Luther was a German monk, theologian, and central figure of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. In 1522, while in hiding after being excommunicated, Luther translated the New Testament into German, followed by the complete Bible in 1534. His translation was groundbreaking because it used clear, everyday German rather than scholarly or church Latin-based language, making Scripture accessible to ordinary people. The printing press allowed Luther’s Bible to circulate widely and quickly, reinforcing his belief that individuals should read and interpret the Bible for themselves. Luther’s translation not only shaped Protestant theology but also had a lasting influence on the development of the modern German language and on European religious life as a whole.

Description

Brown leather. Engraved half-title and frontispiece. Some cracking to joints but intact. All edges gilt with gaufering to top and bottom edges at spine. Four raised bands. Tearing to corner of three pages at beginning of psalms. Fair condition

Dimensions: 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 3 inches