The plantin polyglot also called the biblia regia or kings bible was printed under the title biblia polyglotta by christopher plantin in antwerp betwe. Plantin was a prolific printer and prosperous entrepreneur, publishing more than 40 editions of emblem books. In catholicruled antwerp, his sympathies drew the suspicions and threats of the authorities, so plantin decided to undertake a massive printing project in order to publicly prove. Polyglot bibles the catholic encyclopedia religionfacts. Bowen and dirk imhof, christopher plantin and engraved book illustrations in the sixteenth century cambridge and new york. Martine plantin, and jans parents, jacobus moerentorf and his spouse adriana gras. The polyglot bible was to be an edition of the bible in hebrew, latin, greek, syriac and aramaic.
Montanos maps were a product of his philological training in oriental languages and. Around 450 years ago the antwerp printing press of christophe plantin 15201589 set out to create what plantin believed would be the finest bible ever printed in christendom, explains art critic alastair sooke. The publisher was prepared to crawl for philip in order to be able to print the polyglot bible. Plantin stuck his neck out with his polyglot bible, for which he had hired editors suspected of heresy, to then have king philip ii send an inquisitor after him. The plantin polyglot is a polyglot bible, printed under the title biblia polyglotta by christopher plantin in antwerp belgium between 1568 and 1573. Plantin, who was born near tours, learned the book trade in normandy and paris. Victoria asked the other day if the douayrheims bible relied heavily on the septuagint. The antwerp polyglot bible 15681573 a triumph of hebraism by gabriel siv an considerable public interest was aroused earlier this year by piantin of antwerp, an exhibition of books and prints from the plantin moretus museum in antwerp, which the israel museum displayed for ten weeks in jerusalem. Later, montano used this map to illustrate the apparatus sacer of the famous. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The sacredtexts polyglot bible displays the text of the hebrew, septuagint greek, new testament greek, vulgate latin, and king james versions of the bible in columnar format. Christophe plantin, french printer, founder of an important printing house and publisher of the antwerp polyglot bible. It was published in 1520, with the sanction of leo x.
Plantin printed 1,2 copies of the new polyglot bible, each composed of a set. The bible in multiple tongues, 15021657 discover the sources, innovations, and uses of these monuments to early modern devotion, scholarship, and technical skill. Complutensian polyglot bible old testament new testament. Plantin polyglot wikimili, the best wikipedia reader.
It was published in 1520, with the sanction of leo. Johannes gutenberg about 971468 is famous for producing the first bible that was printed using movable type. The final volume of the polyglot bible, edited by benito arias montano and printed in antwerp by christophe plantin, was published in 15711572. In 1567 plantin began the fund raising and preparations for the printing of one of his most famous publications, the polyglot bible, a project that would not be completed for several years and that threatened to bankrupt the company. The king james version contains links to strongs lexicon entries which crossreference the.
In 1566 we first hear of plantin s scheme to reprint the polyglot bible of cardinal ximenes. Around 450 years ago, christophe plantin set out to create the finest bible ever printed in christendom. Christophe plantin, head of the large plantin publishing house in antwerp, was the most famous publisher of the sixteenth century despite the fact that he offered no real innovations in terms of book or type design. The royal biblea milestone in scholarship watchtower. The plantin polyglot printer christophe plantin was a protestant sympathizer during the height of the reformationbut his greatest legacy is a catholic masterpiece. The practical needs of the jews after hebrew ceased to be a living tongue led to the preparation of manuscripts giving, with the original hebrew, translations or paraphrases in aramaic, greek, arabic, persian, and the languages of europe. David berkowitz, in remembrance of creation, states.
The ship left spain en route to the italian peninsula in the early 16th century. Pdf the kabbalistic scholars of the antwerp polyglot bible. Christophe plantin was a cultural entrepreneur who bound. The bible in multiple tongues, 15021657 the age of. My understanding is that the douayrheims bible was a translation of the latin clementine vulgate 1592, which is tidied up from the older vulgate versions, and has now been superseded by the nova vulgata. Although plantin recovered from the wound, he was unable to do manual labor. Other articles where antwerp polyglot bible is discussed. The antwerp polyglot bible was first and foremost a biblia regia a monument to philip, and as a reflection of his imperial aims, the pictorial program served a vital function.
Polyglot bibles are editions of the bible presenting the text in several languages side by side. Sacred geography, antiquarianism and visual erudition. Facing increasing pressure and turmoil in the netherlands, plantin. His most important work is considered to be the biblia regia kings bible, also known as the plantin polyglot. The plantin polyglot also called the biblia regia or kings bible was printed under the title biblia polyglotta by christopher plantin in antwerp between 1568 and 1573 the bible, a polyglot in five languages, was an expression of loyalty to king philip ii of spain.
Having investigated christophe plantins ambiguous career and associations, we can now look. The 16th century, eightvolume folio is being called one of the schools most important rare book purchases in years. Antwerp polyglot bible, printed under philip iis auspices by christophe plantin, of. Plantin was suspected of calvinist sympathies, although antwerp at that time was firmly catholic. This resource will introduce you to the great polyglot bibles of the early modern period. The famous antwerp printer christopher plantin decided to retire from. His protestant sympathies led him in 1549 to the more congenial atmosphere of antwerp in the spanish netherlands, where he devoted himself to fine printing from about 1555 onward. A bad arm wound seems to have led him about 1555 to turn to.
The plantin polyglot also called the antwerp polyglot, the biblia regia or kings bible is a polyglot bible, printed under the title biblia polyglotta by christopher plantin in antwerp between 1568 and 1573. Benito arias montano and the maps in the antwerp polyglot bible. On view at the plantin museum in antwerp, june 2122, prior to sale posted on june 21, 2018 london christies is pleased to offer discerning collectors the opportunity to view and acquire the plantin polyglot bible during its summer auction of books and manuscripts on 11 july in london estimate. Forming part of the bible s apparatus, the volume contains a number of essays, illustrations and maps by montano relating to questions raised by the biblical text.
Plantin learned bookbinding and bookselling at caen, normandy, and settled in 1549 as a bookbinder in antwerp. Christophe plantina pioneer in bible printing watchtower. This hall of fame contains portraits of fami ly friends too. Targum plural targumin comes from the hebrew root letirgem. This page was last edited on 26 february 2020, at 23. His beautiful proofs secured the support of king philip ii, and the eight volumes of the biblia regia were completed in 1573 see polyglot bibles. Six decades after the complutensian, the flemish printer and entrepreneur christopher plantin resolved to publish another polyglot, both as an act of devotion. Forming part of the bible s apparatus, the volume contains a number of essays, illustrations and maps by montano relating to. The plantin polyglot bible is the second great polyglot bible. His beautiful proofs secured the support of king philip ii, and the eight volumes of the. Stored in its hold was a cargo of immense value the bulk of the total production of the complutensian polyglot bible printed between 1514 and 1517. In 1563, having returned to antwerp, plantin formed business associations with prominent citizens with whom he conducted a printing establishment for three years.
1220 1331 978 336 556 1062 1283 1156 525 547 978 1557 897 934 755 525 331 646 315 1607 1334 747 898 1293 717 1175 1177 108 1167 583 256 274 389 975 1042 559 79 645