A Little Note About A Giant Bible

The philanthropist and bibliophile, Lessing J. Rosenwald (1891-1979) donated the Giant Bible of Mainz to the Library of Congress on April 4, 1952. He made this gift exactly five hundred years after the medieval scribe began his work on April 4, 1452. Calling himself “Calamus” (Latin for pen), the diligent scribe signed his completion of the manuscript on July 9, 1453.

Crafted while Johannes Gutenberg (c.1400 – 1468) would have been working to print the Gutenberg Bible, the Giant Bible of Mainz was likely commissioned for the Johannisberg Monastery, located only a few miles from the city of Mainz, Germany. In 2021, historian John Jefferson identified the two coats-of-arms on the first leaf of the first volume as belonging to the Dean of Worms Cathedral (later Bishop of Wrocław), Rudolph of Rüdesheim (1402–1482) and Abbot Emmerich Nauta of Winkel, the Abbot of Johannisberg monastery from 1439-1453. The importance of the heraldic identification cannot be overstated. 

Prior to Jefferson’s discovery, the specific circumstances surrounding the origins of the Giant Bible of Mainz had remained a mystery, as the first record of its location at Mainz Cathedral did not appear until 1566, over one hundred years after its completion. Readers interested in learning more about this exciting research within the larger context of book history during this pivotal moment in the middle of the fifteenth century are encouraged to watch the recording of the Library’s 2022 virtual symposium, Opening the Case: The Giant Bible of Mainz at the Library of Congress and learn directly from the scholars themselves. Presenters include Paul Needham, Eric White, John Jefferson, Christoph Winterer, and Stephanie Stillo.

 

Within the custodial context of the Rare Book Division, the Giant Bible of Mainz is famous not only for being extraordinarily beautiful, in perfect condition, and graphically unfinished, but also for being very heavy. Any single staff member required to lift either volume may find themselves questioning the epistolary author of Corinthians II, who, in the fourth chapter, writes about an eternal glory that outweighs temporal troubles. Majestically illuminated on a total of 459 leaves of parchment protected by solid wooden boards, the weight of the Giant Bible’s glory is enough to tempt even the strongest to blaspheme. Due to its wide, tall shape, each 35lb volume requires two people to carry it comfortably, making it a four-person manuscript. Though removed from its intended medieval monastic and liturgical context, the physical attributes of the Giant Bible insist upon a communal setting and, even in the twenty-first century, a certain amount of ceremony.

The Library’s digitization of the Giant Bible in 2021 was a reminder that the material components of this medieval masterpiece create corporate rituals of quotidian cultural heritage activities. Members of the Library’s Digital Scan Lab partnered with book conservation specialists in the Conservation Division and curatorial staff in the Rare Book Division to properly support the Giant Bible during image capture. The rhythm of the scanning did involve collective concentration, kneeling, standing, and speaking at certain intervals (“ready,” “image capturing,” “next page ready” for twice 459 leaves in addition to the binding captures). After two full days of imaging the front and back of each manuscript leaf, staff admittedly described the experience as rewarding but ascetic.

Transforming the Giant Bible from its imposing physical presence to a digital surrogate was a multi-media, multi-disciplinary, and multi-divisional endeavor. Digitization is often perceived to be a mechanical process, but scanning the Giant Bible involved human intellectual and historical training, physical strength, and an understanding of the material components of the medieval codex. The fruits of this collaborative labor of combined expertise are a series of beautiful images that overcome the limitations of geographical distance and allow for widespread access to and greater appreciation for one of the Library’s greatest—and certainly largest—treasures.

Here in the Rare Book Reading Room, and perhaps nowhere else, April 4th is Giant Bible Day, so please join our celebration by treating yourself to the playfully exquisite images featured in this digital project about the manuscript, and its journey to the Library: The Giant Bible of Mainz At the Library of Congress.

Happy Giant Bible Day!

 

Sources and Further Reading:

Goff, F.R. (1952) “The Giant Bible of Mainz” in Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions. 9.4, pp. 169-170.

de Hamel, C. (2006). “Dates in the Giant Bible of Mainz” in Tributes in honor of James H. Marrow: Studies in Painting and Manuscript Illumination of the Late Middle Ages and Northern Renaissance. Eds, Jeffrey F. Hamburger and Anne S. Korteweg. London: Harvey Miller.

Hopf, C. (2007). “Die Verlagerung von Zimelien der heutigen Forschungsbibliothek Gotha 1945 und ihr anschließender Verkauf” in Kulturgüter im Zweiten Weltkrieg : Verlagerung – Auffindung – Rückführung. Magdeburg: Koordinierungsstelle für Kulturgutverluste.

Jefferson, J. (2021). “Rudolph von Rüdesheim: ein Zeitgenosse Gutenbergs” in Reviewing Gutenberg : historische Konzepte und Rezeptionen. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag.

Lehmann-Haupt, H. (1996). Gutenberg and the Master of the Playing Cards. New Haven, Yale University Press.

Miner, D. (1952). The Giant Bible of Mainz; 500th Anniversary. Philadelphia.

Ringel, S., & Ribak, R. (2020). “‘Place a Book and Walk Away’: Archival Digitization as a Socio-Technical Practice” in Information, Communication & Society, 24(15), 2293–2306.

Stell, M. (2022). The Giant Bible of Mainz : A Resource Guide.

 

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