Biblia, das ist: Die Heilige Schrift Altes und Neues Testaments. Nach der Deutschen Uebersetzung D. Martin Luthers mit Jedes Capitels Furtzen Summarien, Ach Bengefugten Vielen und Richtigen Parallelen; Rebst dem Gewohnlichen Anhang des Dritten und Vierten Buchs Esra und des Dritten Buchs der Maccabaer.: First American Bible printed in a European language

Summary: Germantown: Christoph[er] Saur, 1743. 4to (9.5 X 7.5 in). The first Bible printed in America after Elliot's Indian Bible of the 1660s, and the first American Bible printed in a European language. A very good copy in original beveled boards.

Description: There are several clippings pertaining to this edition of the Bible mounted on the front pastedown. Printed general title page (1743) laid down with loss to the lower border and imprint, which have been replaced in facsimile. Ornamental headpiece at the beginning of Genesis. Text in two column black letter, with cross references and short summaries at the beginning of each chapter. The text is based on Martin Luther's version by way of the 34th edition of the Halle Bible, with books three and four Esra and three Maccabees supplied from the Berlenburg Bible. The present copy has "parallelen" spelled correctly (a second issue of the title had this word misspelled as "parllelen" as it was made in haste.) Printed New Testament title page (1743). Ornamental headpiece at the beginning of Matthew. Concludes with a Register (3 pp.).

Collation: *^2, A-Z^4, 2A-2Z^4, 3A-3Z^4; 4A-4Z^4; 5A-5Z^4, 6A-6I^4, 6J^2 (Old Testament); A-Z^4, 2A-2M^4, 2N^2 (New Testament). Lacks Rrr-Sss (Psalm 23-56).

Binding: Period full sheep over beveled oak boards. Sometime expertly rebacked with the original spine laid on. A portion of one strap perished, with the original hasp and other strap remaining. Binding chipped in various places, but nicely restored.

Condition: Some dampstaining in places, most prevalent to first few leaves; some toning, occasional soiling and spotting, as typical; small hole to final leaf with loss of a few letters; a few instances of shaved catchwords in places; introductory leaf remargined with loss of a few letters to margins.

Note: 1200 copies of this Bible were printed by Christopher Saur. He was a man of conviction in matters of morality and religion, and he sought to produce a Bible that his fellow Germans could read in their native tongue. He appealed to Germany where Dr. Heinrich Luther provided him with the type, in exchange for a presentation copy. It took him three years to complete the printing of the Bible. Saur made every effort to promote the reading of the Scriptures. His asking price was eighteen shillings but his quoted as saying that "to the poor and needy we have no price." An estimated 120 copies have survived, making copies of the 1743 edition quite scarce.

References: D&M 4240; Evans 5127; Wright 31.