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FILE - Two volumes of the over 500-year-old Gutenberg Bible are pictured in New York in April 1978. Johannes Gutenberg planned on printing 150 Bibles, but increasing demand motivated him to produce 30 extra copies, which led to a total of 180. Currently known as the “Gutenberg Bibles”, around 48 complete copies are preserved. (AP Photo/G. Paul Burnett, File)

Not just a book: What is a Gutenberg Bible? And why is it relevant 500 years after its printing?

A Gutenberg Bible is not your ordinary book

By MarÍA Teresa HernÁNdez
Published - Jun 24, 2024, 08:38 AM ET
Last Updated - Jun 24, 2024, 08:38 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not just a book.

Back in the 1450s, when the Bible became the first major work printed in Europe with moveable metal type, Johannes Gutenberg was a man with a plan.

The German inventor decided to make the most of his new technology — the movable-type printing press — by producing an unprecedented version of the Scripture for wealthy customers who could interpret Latin: leaders of the Catholic Church.

Though he planned on printing 150 Bibles, increasing demand motivated him to produce 30 extra copies, which led to a total of 180. Currently known as the “Gutenberg Bibles”, around 48 complete copies are preserved.

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