In this episode of “Liana’s Favorite Books,” American Bible Society’s librarian, Dr. Liana Lupas, shows off a true historical treasure: the book of Malachi from the legendary Gutenberg Bible.

It’s no exaggeration to call the Gutenberg Bible one of the most important books ever produced. As the first book printed on a press with Roman type, it changed the history of Europe and the world.

As Dr. Lupas explains, Gutenberg’s printing press was approximately 60 times more efficient than the hands of a human scribe. And yet, his set of 300 different metal type pieces mimicked every pen or brush stroke contained in a handwritten copy of the Bible. (As Dr. Lupas puts it, “Gutenberg was a perfectionist!”)

Of the 180 copies of the Bible that Gutenberg produced, roughly 49 survive today in bound form. There are also about 2,000 leaves from Gutenberg’s Bibles. American Bible Society’s vast collection is home to four of these precious leaves.

The two leaves featured in this video represent one complete book the Bible: the book of Malachi.

We hope you enjoy this exquisite journey into the world of Gutenberg and his stunning, history-changing Bible!