A Bibliography of Incunable Bibles Organised By Place of Printing and Language

There is considerable value in presenting the bibliography of incunable Bibles in this form, organised by place of printing rather than as a simple chronological sequence, and across all vernacular languages available in the incunable period.

Incunable Bibles by Place of Printing

A Geographical Bibliography of Latin, Vernacular & Hebrew Editions to 1500

There is considerable value in presenting the bibliography of incunable Bibles in this form, organised by place of printing rather than as a simple chronological sequence, and encompassing all vernacular languages represented during the incunable period.

When viewed geographically, patterns emerge that are otherwise easy to overlook. Entire printing centres reveal distinct linguistic, commercial, and theological identities.

Augsburg, for example, is overwhelmingly a centre of High German Bible production, while Basel remains exclusively Latin throughout the incunable period.

Such patterns are not incidental. They reflect local readership, ecclesiastical priorities, and the commercial strategies of early printers.

A geographical bibliography is not merely descriptive. It becomes a tool for understanding how the Bible was transmitted, read, and disseminated throughout late medieval Europe.

These tables demonstrate that German printings are largely Latin and vernacular High German; Italian printings are predominantly Latin and Italian; France is overwhelmingly Latin, with French appearing only towards the end of the period; Catalan is represented in Spain; Czech appears in Eastern European presses; and Hebrew editions were printed at Soncino, Brescia, and Naples.


Augsburg

Date Printer Language
c. 1475 Jodocus Pflanzmann High German
1475–1476 Gunther Zainer High German
1477 Gunther Zainer High German
20 June 1477 Anton Sorg High German
1 January 1480 Anton Sorg High German
25 May 1487 Jodocus Pflanzmann High German
9 November 1490 Jodocus Pflanzmann High German

Bamberg

Possibly printed in Mainz rather than Bamberg.

Date Printer Language
c. 1458 Printer of the 36-line Bible Latin

Basel

Date Printer Language
c. 1468Berthold RuppelLatin
c. 1474Bernhard RichelLatin
c. 1475Berthold Ruppel and Bernhard RichelLatin
1475Bernhard RichelLatin
8 September 1477Bernhard RichelLatin
1479Johann AmerbachLatin
1481Johann AmerbachLatin
1482Johann AmerbachLatin
1486Johann AmerbachLatin
1486Bernhard RichelLatin
9 October 1487Nikolaus KesslerLatin
1489Nikolaus KesslerLatin
9 January 1491Nikolaus KesslerLatin
1491Johann AmerbachLatin
27 June 1491Johann FrobenLatin
c. 1492–1494Johann AmerbachLatin
27 October 1495Johann FrobenLatin
1 December 1498Johann Froben and Johann PetriLatin
1498–1502Johann Amerbach for Anton KobergerLatin
1498–1502Johann Froben and Johann PetriLatin
1500Johann FrobenLatin

Brescia

Date Printer Language
24–31 May 1494 Gershom ben Moses Soncino Hebrew
29 December 1496 Angelus and Jacobus Britannici Latin

Florence

No extant copies traced; see Goff H-3077.

Date Printer Language
1480 Unknown Latin

Cologne

Date Printer Language
c. 1475Konrad WintersLatin
c. 1477Konrad WintersLatin
c. 1477–1478Nikolaus GötzLatin
c. 1478Heinrich QuentellLow German
c. 1478–1480Nikolaus GötzLatin
20 September 1479Konrad WintersLatin
9 May 1480Nikolaus GötzLatin
1497UnknownLatin

Kuttenberg

Date Printer Language
14 November 1489 Martin of Tischnowitz Czech

Lübeck

Date Printer Language
19 November 1494 Steffen Arndes Low German

Lyon

Date Printer Language
1479Perrin le MassonLatin
1482Markus Reinhard and Nikolaus PhilippiLatin
1483Matthias HussLatin
c. 1487Printer of Guido PapaLatin
c. 1488Johann SiberLatin
1489Lazarus David GrosshoferLatin
9 June 1490Jacques MailletLatin
1494Matthias HussLatin
23 December 1497Jean Pivard and François FradinLatin
1499UnknownLatin
1500Jacques SaconLatin
1500–1501Jean PivardLatin
Possibly c. 1500Olivier ArnoulletFrench

Mainz

The second entry may have been printed in Bamberg rather than Mainz.

Date Printer Language
1454–1455Johann GutenbergLatin
c. 1458Printer of the 36-line BibleLatin
14 August 1462Johann Fust and Peter SchöfferLatin
23 February 1472Peter SchöfferLatin

Naples

Date Printer Language
1476 Matthias of Olomouc and Biagio Romero Latin
c. 1492 Joshua Solomon ben Israel Soncino Hebrew

Nuremberg

Date Printer Language
16 November 1475Anton KobergerLatin
9 December 1475Johann Sensenschmidt and Andreas FrisnerLatin
1476Johann Sensenschmidt and Andreas FrisnerLatin
c. 1476–1478Johann SensenschmidtHigh German
30 July 1477Anton KobergerLatin
14 April 1478Anton KobergerLatin
10 November 1478Anton KobergerLatin
6 August 1479Anton KobergerLatin
14 April 1480Anton KobergerLatin
31 December 1482Anton KobergerLatin
17 February 1483Anton KobergerHigh German
c. 1483Anton KobergerLatin
1484Anton KobergerLatin
7 May 1485Anton KobergerLatin
3 DecemberAnton KobergerLatin
12 April 1493Anton KobergerLatin
c. 1493Kaspar HochfederLatin
6 September 1497Anton KobergerLatin
1500Anton KobergerLatin

Paris

Date Printer Language
21 July 1477Martin Crantz and Michael FriburgerLatin
c. 1495UnknownLatin
c. 1498Antoine VérardFrench
1500Simon VostreLatin
UnknownThielman KerverLatin
c. 1500?Antoine VérardFrench

Piacenza

Date Printer Language
1475 Johannes Petrus de Ferraris Latin

Prague

Date Printer Language
August 1488 Johann Kamp for Johann Pytlik Czech

Rome

Date Printer Language
15 March 1471 Konrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz Latin

Seville

Date Printer Language
1491 Compañeros Alemanes Latin

Soncino

Date Printer Language
23 February 1488 Joshua Solomon ben Israel Nathan Soncino Hebrew

Speyer

Date Printer Language
1486Peter DrachLatin
1489Peter DrachLatin

Strasbourg

Date Printer Language
c. 1460–1461Johann MentelinLatin
24 May 1466Heinrich EggesteinLatin
27 June 1466Johann MentelinLatin
c. 1468Heinrich EggesteinLatin
c. 1468–1473Adolf Rusch and Johann MentelinLatin
c. 1470Heinrich EggesteinHigh German
1478Martin FlachLatin
23 September 1481Adolf Rusch for Anton KobergerLatin
1483Johann GrüningerLatin
2 May 1485Johann GrüningerHigh German
1485Printer of the Vitas PatrumLatin
1486Johann PrüssLatin
1489Johann PrüssLatin
3 November 1493Johann GrüningerLatin
26 April 1497Johann GrüningerLatin

Ulm

Date Printer Language
29 January 1480 Johann Zainer Latin

Valencia

Date Printer Language
March 1478 Alfonso Fernández and Lambert Palmart for Philipp Vizlant Catalan

Venice

Date Printer Language
1 August 1471Wendelin von SpeyerItalian
1 October 1471Adam von AmmergauItalian
1475Franz Renner and Nikolaus von FrankfurtLatin
1476Franz Renner and Nikolaus von FrankfurtLatin
1476Nicolas JensonLatin
1477Antonio MiscominiItalian
1477–1478Gabriele di PietroItalian
1478Rainald of Nijmegen and Theodore of ReynsbergLatin
1478Leonhard Wild for Nikolaus von FrankfurtLatin
1479Nicolas JensonLatin
1480Franz RennerLatin
31 May 1480Octavianus ScotusLatin
31 July 1481Johann Herbort for Nicolas JensonLatin
1481Leonhard WildLatin
1481Octavianus ScotusItalian
1482Franz RennerLatin
1483Franz RennerLatin
31 October 1483Johann HerbortLatin
30 April 1484Johann HerbortLatin
1484Andreas de PaltaszichisItalian
c. 1485Nicholas of FrankfurtLatin
1486UnknownLatin
31 October 1487Johannes RubeusItalian
27 February 1487/1488Georgius ArrivabeneLatin
8 August 1489Bonetus Locatellus for Octavianus ScotusLatin
15 October 1490Giovanni Ragazzo for Lucantonio GiuntaItalian
1491UnknownLatin
1491Simon de GaraLatin
July 1492Giovanni Ragazzo for Lucantonio GiuntaItalian
7 September 1492Hieronymus de PaganinisLatin
23 April 1493Guiglielmus de CeretoItalian
June 1494Johannes Rubeus for Lucantonio GiuntaItalian
22 November 1494Simon BevilaquaLatin
1494Franz RennerLatin
18 April 1495Paganinus de PaganinisLatin
1496UnknownLatin
7 September 1497Hieronymus de PaganinisLatin
8 May 1498Simon BevilaquaLatin

Vicenza

Date Printer Language
10 May 1476 Leonardus Achates Latin