THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
uther’s crowning achievement is undoubtedly his translation of the Bible into the vernacular of the German people. In commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, we are making available our beautiful 2 volume, full-color, leather bound facsimile of Luther’s 1534 German Bible.
It is widely considered that the posting of the The Ninety-five Theses (on the door of the All Saints Catholic Church, on October 31, 1517) by Martin Luther, a professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany, marked the start of the Protestant Reformation, profoundly changing Europe and all Christendom.
Luther challenged the use of indulgences. He stated that the pope could not use the treasury of merit to forgive temporal punishment of sin. His position was that salvation is through the work of Christ on Calvary and not earned through papal indulgences.
A Man Who Changed The World Oil painting by Greg Copeland, 2005
A second significant point of dispute was whether people could be assured that they had been forgiven of their sin. Luther asserted that one could be assured of forgiveness based on God's promises alone.
Luther was not the first to recognize the need for reform in the Catholic Church, but his powerful preaching and writing style garnered the interest of those who heard him. With the addition of the printing press, Martin Luther’s writings were reproduced in great quantities and widely distributed.
Martin Luther was a man of courage and conviction. He will forever be remembered as the monk that sparked the reformation that swept across Europe and the continents beyond for the remainder of the century.
Available now, the 500th Anniversary Reformation Edition of Martin Luther's full color 1534 two volume German Bible
Martin Luther's German Bible of 1534
ctober 31, 2017 marked a milestone of ministry that began in 1517 when a young priest in preparation, Martin Luther, nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Roman church in Wittenberg, Germany. To commemorate this most significant event, the Biblical Heritage Exhibit prepared this stunning 2 volume, full-color Collector’s Edition, bound in genuine calfskin leather, with the reformation logo embossed in gold foil and resting in a matching slipcase.
These beautifully bound 2 volume sets are made available in both octavo and folio sizes. Also available to enhance your presentation display is a variety of commemorative accompaniments. The rich history of the production and preservation of the Scriptures in the German language is well documented throughout the reformation and is now vividly depicted in these pages.
The translation of the entire Bible into German was published in a six-part edition in 1534. It was the collaborative effort of several reformers including Johannes Bugenhagen, Justus Jonas, Caspar Creuziger, Philipp Melanchthon, Matthäus Aurogallus, and Georg Rörer.
Luther's goal was to equip every German-speaking Christian with the ability to hear the Word of God, and completing his translation of the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into the vernacular by 1534 was one of the most significant acts of the Reformation.
There were 117 original woodcuts included in the 1534 edition issued by the Hans Lufft press in Wittenberg. The original artwork in full color was completed by the Lucas Cranach workshop. The artist renderings were equally as eye opening as the vernacular text revealing the Great Whore of Babylon riding a seven headed beast while wearing the papal crown, or the four horsemen of the apocalypse following a Turkish soldier! The full color ornamentation, gold detail and illustration so enhance the powerful presentation of the complete German translation, Received Text Bible.
UNPRECEDENTED QUALITY
The Biblical Heritage Exhibit produces only the finest of facsimiles. We never produce page on page copies. Our relationships with museums and collectors have allowed us access to many rare, original texts and digital images. Our skilled technicians, using state of the art equipment, painstakingly scan and digitize these original manuscripts.
All of our facsimiles are bound in genuine leather. We use cotton rag paper with a linen finish, closely representative of the paper used when producing the originals themselves. Many of our facsimiles feature enhancements such as custom marbling, foil embossing, raised bands, debossing, and slipcases.
ohn Wycliffe emerged as a powerful influence for revival and reform. As a result of his work, historians have termed Wycliffe the "Morning Star of the Reformation".
In the 14th century, possession of a Wycliffite Bible could lead to accusations of heresy, imprisonment, and death. Few copies have survived; the last copy to sell at auction brought an astonishing 1.7 million dollars at the Charles Ryrie Sale in December of 2016.
Until 2017, no true, quality facsimile of a Wycliffe New Testament has ever been produced. The cost was too great, the project too vast and the process too difficult. Yet as nations around the world prepare to commemorate this significant anniversary, it seems appropriate that this exceptional edition has finally been released to the general public.
For the first time since the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries...the Wycliffe New Testament, the first Bible in English, has been made readily available in its original form. It is bound in embossed leather with raised bands accented in gold. Publication is strictly limited and each volume represents an impressive work of art. Lavishly decorated throughout, it has been printed on a thick, vellum style paper with virtually every page embellished with red, blue or gold.
MAKES A VALUABLE ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION:
OUR PRICE $399.95