1- In his struggle against rising Protestantism Charles V prohibited in his domains all suspect Bibles (in Latin, French and Dutch) and asked the Theological Faculty of the Louvain University to prepare duly authorized and orthodox editions in these languages. The Latin Bible appeared first: it was revised by Joannes Hentenius and printed in 1547, at Louvain, by Bartholomeus Gravius, in folio The Louvain-Bible is practically identical to the Bible of R. Stephanus, Paris, 1538-1540, with only some modifications of the forewords, text and marginal matter (cf. Darlow-Moule, II, 2, no. 6129). Beginning with his first Bible-edition in 1559 Plantin followed this Louvain-version. He added, however, the division in versets, as introduced by Stephanus in 1555. -2- Plantin seems to have taken in 1572 the initiative for a new revision by the Louvain Theological Faculty. In a letter of 14 March 1572 (Corr., III, no. 375) the archprinter thanks the Faculty for the favourable answer 'quod de bibliis vulgatae editionis latinae a me recudendis accepi', and asks 'ut meo sumptu quod fieri poterit castigatissimum exemplar ad impressionem mihi parari procuretis'. He himself was pressed by 'magnates' from Spain (= meaning prominent Spanish church-dignitaries, if not the King himself). To speed up the revision he wishes to designate immediately among the members of the Faculty two or three specialists to supervise the work (cf. another revealing letter of Plantin, 9 October 1574, to Alanus Copus [Corr., IV, no. 565]: Plantin bought with his own money manuscript Bibles to be sent to J. Harlemius at the Louvain Theological Faculty). In 1573 Plantin could print a New Testament in this revised Louvain-version and in 1574 the complete Bible (the foreword in this Bible by the dean of the Louvain Theological Faculty is dated 9 May 1573). All Plantin's subsequent Latin Bibles are based on this edition. The revision was prepared by Franciscus Lucas, with the help of Joannes Molanus, Augustinus Hunnaeus, Cornelius Goudanus and Joannes Harlemius. In the margins were added new variants, taken principally from Plantin's Polyglot Bible.
- cp010921: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰. Antwerp, Plantin, 1559
- cp013508: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰. Antwerp, J. Steelsius, 1559
- cp011895: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1563
- cp012189: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1565
- cp012186: Biblia [in Latin], in 16mo, in 6 vols., 1564-1565
- cp010863: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1567
- cp012405: Biblia [in Latin], in 24mo, in 5 vols., 1567
- cp013234: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1569
- cp013332: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1574
- cp010658: Biblia [in Latin: only Old Testament], in 24mo, in 5 vols., 1574
- cp011062: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1580
- cp012581: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1582
- cp012970: Biblia [in Latin], in Folio, 1583
- cp013196: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1583
- cp013403: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1584
- cp011841: Biblia [in Latin], in 8⁰, 1587