Biblia, Das ist: Die ganze Heilige Schrift Des Alten und Neuen Testaments. Bie Foide von Herrnn Doctor Martin Luther. [18th Century German Martin Luther Bible].

$6,000.00

Item Number: 142643

Nuremberg: Endter, 1788.

Eighteenth century printing of the Martin Luther Bible; the first Bible in the German language originally translated by Martin Luther in 1534, considered the foundation of the modern German language. Folio, bound in full pig elaborately stamped in blind with brass cornerpieces, illustrated with numerous engravings in-text, including many 1/3 page and a number of full-page, additional engraved title. In very good condition.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) began translating the Bible into German in 1521. His reasoning was to make the Bible more accessible to all the Germanic people. He used Erasmus' second edition (1519) of the Greek New Testament rather than the Vulgate which was the official Latin translation used by the Catholic Church. This task required a collaborative effort by Luther, Johannes Bugenhagen, Philipp Melanchthon, Georg Rorer, Caspar Creutziger, Justus Jonas. The Luther Bible by reason of its widespread circulation was largely responsible for the formation the modern German language by standardizing its usage rather than using the many disparate dialects.