Gutenberg Bible

The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42) was the earliest major <a href="/en/Book" title="Book" class="wl">book</a> printed using mass-produced <a href="/en/Movable_type" title="Movable type" class="wl">movable metal type</a> in Europe. It marked the start of the "<a href="/en/Printing_Revolution" title="Printing Revolution" class="mw-redirect wl">Gutenberg Revolution</a>" and the age of printed books in the West. The book is valued and revered for its high aesthetic and artistic qualities<a href="#cite_note-Davies-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a> as well as its historical significance. It is an edition of the Latin <a href="/en/Vulgate" title="Vulgate" class="wl">Vulgate</a> printed in the 1450s by <a href="/en/Johannes_Gutenberg" title="Johannes Gutenberg" class="wl">Johannes Gutenberg</a> in <a href="/en/Mainz" title="Mainz" class="wl">Mainz</a>, in present-day <a href="/en/Germany" title="Germany" class="wl">Germany</a>. Forty-nine copies (or substantial portions of copies) have survived. They are thought to be among the world's most valuable books, although no complete copy has been sold since 1978.<a href="#cite_note-MSNBC-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;">[2]</a><a href="#cite_note-Luxist.com-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;">[3]</a> In March 1455, the future <a href="/en/Pope_Pius_II" title="Pope Pius II" class="wl">Pope Pius II</a> wrote that he had seen pages from the Gutenberg Bible displayed in <a href="/en/Frankfurt_am_Main" title="Frankfurt am Main" class="mw-redirect wl">Frankfurt</a> to promote the edition, and that either 158 or 180 copies had been printed (he cited sources for both numbers).

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Earliest major book printed in Europe</div>
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<figure class="wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Gutenberg_Bible,_Lenox_Copy,_New_York_Public_Library,_2009._Pic_01.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Gutenberg_Bible,_Lenox_Copy,_New_York_Public_Library,_2009._Pic_01.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg/300px-Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1920" data-file-height="1200" data-file-type="bitmap" height="188" width="300" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg/450px-Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg/600px-Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg 2x" alt="Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg"></a><figcaption>Gutenberg Bible of the <a href="/en/New_York_Public_Library" title="New York Public Library" class="wl">New York Public Library</a>. Bought by <a href="/en/James_Lenox" title="James Lenox" class="wl">James Lenox</a> in 1847, it was the first copy to be acquired by a United States citizen.</figcaption></figure>

The <a href="/en/36-line_Bible" title="36-line Bible" class="wl">36-line Bible</a>, said to be the second printed Bible, is also referred to sometimes as a Gutenberg Bible, but may be the work of another printer.

The Gutenberg Bible was the earliest major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe. It marked the start of the "Gutenberg Revolution" and the age of printed books in the West. The book is valued and revered for its high aesthetic and artistic qualities In March 1455, the future Pope Pius II wrote that he had seen pages from the Gutenberg Bible displayed in Frankfurt to promote the edition, and that either 158 or 180 copies had been printed . The 36-line Bible, said to be the second printed Bible, is also referred to sometimes as a Gutenberg Bible, but may be the work of another printer. 