True History - Veritas Card #24 - Gutenberg Prints the Bible

Gutenberg Prints the Bible - 1456

  Here is an excerpt from about.com on Gutenberg. I'll post this before I post the other information from the Veritas Card on Gutenberg.

The earliest dated printed book known is the "Diamond Sutra", printed in China in 868 CE. However, it is suspected that book printing may have occurred long before this date.

In 1041, movable clay type was first invented in China. Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and businessman from the mining town of Mainz in southern Germany, borrowed money to invent a technology that changed the world of printing. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/moveable wooden or metal letters in 1436 (completed by 1440). This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts and religion through the transmission of texts.

   Many people during the Middle Ages did not know how to read. They were illiterate. But Johannes Gutenberg knew how to read. He learned on his own by reading manuscripts, which were hand writings. Most people in Europe did not own books at that time. 

   While Johannes Gutenberg was growing up, a special method was used to print books with, called 'block printing'. Gutenberg made the first types of letters that were used in printing, instead of having whole pages printed. This type of printing was called, 'movable type'. Can you imagine the excitement around him and he branched out into his new method of printing? 

   Gutenberg was determined to make an easier way to print than what was used when he was a young man. The people who printed used 'block printing' which basically involved cutting a piece of wood the size of the page, then cutting away the wood that was extra, and leaving only the raised letters. Then they spread ink on the letters and laid paper on the block. Then they pressed the paper down. How much work that would have been!

   Gutenberg made the first movable type from wood. The ones he made later were metal. Guess what the first book he printed was! It was the Bible. It was printed in two volumes, and in the Latin language.

   Books could now be printed much more easily, with the help of the movable type. Before this, monks would hand copy manuscripts very carefully. It would be so much faster to write a book now. Thanks to Johannes Gutenberg, we now could print the Bible faster than before.

   The Protestant Reformation benefitted from Gutenberg's invention. As issues of doctrine came up that had to be dealt with, their ideas were able to be quickly published because of the printing presses that were available, and their ideas could more easily spread throughout Europe.