Record ID | cp012550 |
Voet reference number | 649 |
Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:14311387 |
Uniform title | BIBLE: Editions in Hebrew |
Title page transcription | I. Title-page: see reproduction [Translation of Hebrew text: 'Five Books of the Law carefully printed by Christopher Plantin, to the order of master Bomberg, whom God preserve, in the year 326 of the minor computus here [at] the famous city of Antwerp']. |
Collation | 4⁰ ([162]): 1-16VIII, 17IV, 18-64VIII [quires numbered in Arabic numerals with Roman numerators]; folios 1r-506v, [507r-508v] |
Fingerprint | |
Number of sheets | 127 |
Pages | [1r]: Title [1v]: Blank 2r-[507r]: Text [507v]: Colophon [Translation of Hebrew text: 'Printed by and in the house of Christopher Plantin, with the founts and letters of Bomberg and completed in the month of Teveth, the year 326 of the minor computus (= December 1565/January 1566). Blessed be God who has not removed his mercy from us, but has enabled us to finish this book without misfortune or adversity'] [508r-v]: Blank |
Edition information | |
Copies | CambridgeBritish Library LondonCambridge University LibraryBibliothèque nationale de France |
Bibliographical references | Ruelens-de Backer, page 52 (1566, no. 1) and page 66 (1567, no. 2) Masch, I, pages 32-33 Darlow-Moule, no. 5099Claude Sorgeloos, Labore et constantia. A collection of 510 editions issued by Christopher Plantin from 1555 till 1589. Introduction by Leon Voet. Brussels, 1990, nr. 134 |
Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:12924440 |
Note 1 | Set in Hebrew type with vowel-points. The matrices for the type were lent by Plantin's partner, Cornelis van Bomberghen, and came from Cornelis's uncle, the famous bookprinter at Venice, Daniel van Bomberghen (cf. L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, I, page 45). |
Note 2 | Re-edition of the second Biblia Rabbinica, printed by Daniel van Bomberghen, Venice, 1524-1525, in folio (cf. Darlow-Moule, nos. 5099 and 5085). |
Note 3 | The cost-accounting note in Arch. 4, folios 75-76, makes it clear that the editions in 4⁰, in 8⁰, and in 16mo were printed at the same time from the same type-composition: the forms of the in 4º were printed first, and then rearranged for the printing of the in 8º and in 16mo. On 24 December 1564 the first six forms were finished. Composing and printing continued till 19 January 1567. The wages for composing and printing amounted to 1,203 florins Carolus guilders 2 stuivers The Bible in 4⁰ contained 128 sheets: of the Pentateuch 3,900 copies were printed (making, at 38 sheets per copy, 304½ reams of paper, plus 10 reams 'imperfections'; in all 314½ reams); of the other parts 2,600 copies were printed (making, at 90 sheets per copy, 468 reams of paper, plus 20½ reams 'imperfections'; in all 488½ reams); the total number of reams, consequently, were 777, costing, at 1 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers per ream, 1,087 florins Carolus guilders 16 stuivers The Bible in 8⁰ contained 125 sheets: of the Pentateuch were printed 2,600 copies (making, at 35 sheets per copy, 182 reams of paper, plus 6 reams 'imperfections'; in all 188 reams), of the Psalms and Proverbs 1,500 copies (making, at 15 sheets per copy, 7 reams), of the other parts 1,300 copies (making, at 90 sheets per copy, 235 reams, plus 15 reams 'imperfections' [including the 'imperfections' for the Psalms and Proverbs]); the total number of reams, consequently, were 445, costing, at 1 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers per ream, 623 florins Carolus guilders The Bible in 16mo contained 126½ sheets: of the Psalms and Proverbs were printed 2,600 copies, of the other parts 1,300 copies; in all 385 reams of paper were used (329, plus 15 reams 'imperfections', for the 1,300 copies of the complete Bible; 40, plus 1 ream 'imperfections', for the 1,300 extra-copies of the Psalms and Proverbs), costing, at 1 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers per ream, 539 florins Carolus guilders The total cost of the editions amounted therefore to 3,452 florins Carolus guilders 2 stuivers (1,203 florins Carolus guilders 2 stuivers for printing; 2,249 florins Carolus guilders for paper). For that amount were made, according to Plantin, 5,200 complete Bibles (2,600 in 4º, 1,300 in 8º, 1,300 in 16mo), 2,600 extra-copies of the Pentateuch (1,300 in 4º, 1,300 in 8º), 1,300 extra-copies of the Psalms and Proverbs (in fact 1,500 extra-copies: 200 in 8⁰, 1,300 in 16mo; by mistake Plantin must have overlooked the extra-copies in 8º). Then Plantin started reckoning the cost-price per copy of the complete Bible. In all 1,607 reams of paper were used, but of this total 67 reams of 'imperfections' had to be deduced. That left 1,540 reams of printed paper; as the total expenses amounted to 3,452 florins Carolus guilders 2 stuivers, this meant about 2 florins Carolus guilders 5 stuivers per ream. Of this number the 187 reams used for the extra-editions of the Pentateuch and the Psalms and the Proverbs were to be deduced, for a value of 418 florins Carolus guilders So that finally the 5,200 complete Bibles cost 3,034 florins Carolus guilders or about 12 stuivers per copy. |
Note 4 | Listed in M 164, folio 4r, and M 296, folio 2r: 'Biblia Hȩb.a in 4⁰ compinguntur uno vol.., f[euilles] 127, [price:] stuivers 45; Biblia Hȩb.a in 8º co[m] pinguntur 4 voll., f[euilles] 124½ [price:] stuivers 45; Biblia Hȩb.a, in 16mo comping. 4 voll., f[euilles] 126¼, [price:] stuivers 45'. The extra-editions of the Psalms and Proverbs are not mentioned separately (but a copy of the Proverbs in Museum Plantin-Moretus: see no. 662), but the Pentateuch figures in Ms. 296, folio 14v: 'Pentateuchus hȩb. cum canticis in 4⁰ A⁰ -, f[euilles] 37, [price:] stuivers 12; Idem in 8⁰ hȩb. cum cant. A⁰ -, f[euilles] 34½, [price:] stuivers 12; Idem in 16⁰ hȩb. cum cant. A⁰ -, f[euilles] 32¼, [price:] stuivers 12'. This entry seems to imply that of the in 16mo edition a number of copies of the Pentateuch were also sold separately. |
Note 5 | A large number of copies were sent to the Fairs of Frankfurt (cf. letter of Plantin to J. Maréchal, 21 June 1567: Corr., I, no. 94). Another part of the edition was intended for the Jewish colonies in 'Barbarie' (North-Africa). Details about this transaction are given in a letter of Plantin to H. Niclaes, 2 August 1567 (Corr., I, no. 74): on 1 January 1567 the typographer had delivered to the Antwerp merchant Jehan Rademaker 200 Biblia Hebraica 4⁰ 'pour les envoyer à commune risque en Barbarie', where they were sold 5 ounces per piece 'sur quoy a couru plusieurs avaris, lesquels déduicts et la marchandise de retour vendue, je doibs recevoir dedans 4 mois 300 florins Carolus guilders pour la moictié desdictes 200 Bibles, de l'autre moictié ay je receu l'argent, à 35 patars [= stuivers] la pièce, au nom dudict Rademaker suivant l'accort faict'. The speculation had been successful and rewarding, but it had some annoying side-effects. As Plantin goes on to explain in his letter, the typographer had also sold a number of copies to the merchant Gaspar van Zurich, who had likely the intention to sell them in Barbarie. Hearing the remarkable results of Rademaker's enterprise, Van Zurich forbade Plantin to sell another copy of the Bible, before he would have sold his own copies in Africa. This was not at all to Plantin's liking as another Antwerp merchant, Gillis Hoffman (= Hooftman), who also wished to try his luck in the Bible-gamble in Barbarie, had ordered another 400 or 500 copies, to be paid cash. As G. van Zurich had helped Plantin often before with substantial loans, the typographer was hesitating how to proceed. One of the reasons why Plantin wrote these business-details to his spiritual mentor was most certainly that he hoped (but without insisting explicitly) that H. Niclaes would use his influence with Van Zurich, a member of the 'Family of Love', to allow Plantin to continue to sell his Hebrew Bibles to whom he wishes. Very likely, the typographer couldn't soothe Van Zurich or else G. Hooftman withdrew his offer, as the latter's name is not found in Plantin's ledgers and journals concerning an eventual sale of Hebrew Bibles. The transaction with J. Rademaker is noted (at the date of 3 January 1567) in Arch. 37, folio 31, and Arch. 45, folio 1, and the one with G. van Zurich in Arch. 37, folio 76, and Arch. 45, folios 42-43 (24 March 1566: 75 Biblia in 4⁰, 40 in 8⁰, 40 in 16mo, for a value of 348 florins Carolus guilders 15 stuivers [2 florins Carolus guilders 5 stuivers per copy]; 24 March 1566: 200 Biblia Hebraica 'lesquels il a eu pour envoyer en Barbarie' for a value of 450 florins Carolus guilders, 7 July 1566: 100 Biblia in 4⁰ for a value of 225 florins Carolus guilders). Another important customer was Gaspar Habetius, 'Alleman, lector à Londres en Hebrieu': on 30 April 1565 the shipment is noted of the first 16 sheets of 100 Biblia Hebraica in 4⁰; on 3 August 1566 the remaining 17 sheets of the 100 Bibles were sent. Habetius had to pay 330 florins Carolus guilders for the books and 4 stuivers for the toll (Arch. 37, folio 1; Arch. 44, folio 104). |
Note 6 | The editions are mentioned in some other letters of Plantin. On 8 August 1566 the printer wrote to A. Masius: 'Je n'ay pas encores de tout achevé la Bible en Hébrieu, dont je vous envoye les livres de Moyse et les Histoires. Les Grands Prophètes sont achevés mais ils n'estoyent pas assemblés et la dernière partie est sous la presse que j'espère achever dedans 3 ou 4 mois d'ici et alors les vous envoyer ensemble'. (Corr., III, no. 336). See also a letter [March 1568 ?] to J. Mofflin, regarding the Hebrew type of C. van Bomberghen (Corr., I, no. 117). |
Further reading |