Home > Discover > Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection &

Das Allte Testament deutsch

Summary: This is the first printing of the first part of Luther's translation of the Old Testament into idiomatic German. It comprises the Pentateuch, or the five Books of Moses. Scholars long believed that this edition had been destroyed by Luther's friends because of its many printing errors. This printing contains 11 full-page and six initial-figure woodcuts. The volume has been heavily annotated in an early to mid-sixteenth century hand.
Signatures:A⁶, 2A⁶, B-X⁶, a-b⁶, c⁴; [A] unsigned, c4b blank.
Illustrative and Decorative Content: There are eleven full-page and six initial-figure woodcuts by L. Cranach. The title page and initials are by G. Lemberger. Plates by L. Cranach and by the "Meister der Zackenblätter" (who is also known as the monogrammist MB). Title page and initials by G. Lemberger.
Additional Details: Extensive contemporary manuscript marginalia, aimed at revision of translation. Last blank leaf wanting from this copy.

Date Created
1523
Subject - Topic/Names
Bible. Pentateuch
Subject - Geographic
No geographic metadata found
Subject - Time Period
Sixteenth century
Rights Statement
The online edition of this work in the public domain, i.e. not protected by copyright, has been produced by Pitts Theology Library.
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES
yellow check mark Free to use
thick arrow pointing downward Download Item

Primary Repository ID

P_300000445203

System of Record ID

300000445203

Title

Das Allte Testament deutsch

Date Created

1523

Description

Summary: This is the first printing of the first part of Luther's translation of the Old Testament into idiomatic German. It comprises the Pentateuch, or the five Books of Moses. Scholars long believed that this edition had been destroyed by Luther's friends because of its many printing errors. This printing contains 11 full-page and six initial-figure woodcuts. The volume has been heavily annotated in an early to mid-sixteenth century hand.
Signatures:A⁶, 2A⁶, B-X⁶, a-b⁶, c⁴; [A] unsigned, c4b blank.
Illustrative and Decorative Content: There are eleven full-page and six initial-figure woodcuts by L. Cranach. The title page and initials are by G. Lemberger. Plates by L. Cranach and by the "Meister der Zackenblätter" (who is also known as the monogrammist MB). Title page and initials by G. Lemberger.
Additional Details: Extensive contemporary manuscript marginalia, aimed at revision of translation. Last blank leaf wanting from this copy.

Publisher

Lotter, Melchior, approximately 1490-

Place of Publication

Wittenberg (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)

Contributor

Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
Cranach, Lucas, 1472-1553
Lemberger, Georg, 1495?-1540?
Brosamer, Martin, active 1554

Primary Language

German

Subject - Topic/Names

Bible. Pentateuch

Subject - Time Period

Sixteenth century

Extent/Dimensions

6 unnumbered leaves, 140 leaves, 1 unnumbered leaf, 11 unnumbered plates
31 cm

Content Type

Text

Content Genre

books

Format

Folio

Related Material

This work is part of the Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection.
"'That We a Godly Life May Live:' Martin Luther and the Ten Commandments" Pitts Theology Library, September 15 2015 - January 28, 2016
"From Wittenberg to Atlanta: The Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection at 30 Years" Pitts Theology Library, August 7 - November 17, 2017

Has Part

A woodcut initial letter "D" illustrated with the scene of Moses delivering his farewell discourse while God looks down from Heaven. Moses is depicted with horns, a common practice in Western art before the Renaissance.Initial letter with Moses delivering his farewell
A woodcut initial letter "U" depicting Moses praying before God in Heaven, who is holding a globus cruciger. Moses is here depicted with horns, which was common before the Renaissance. The shape of the "U" includes two cherubs atop pillars and a bound bird.Initial letter with Moses kneeling before God
A woodcut initial letter "U" depicting a woman and a man kneeling before an altar with a sheep on it. The bottom and right curve of the "U" is made from the image of a dragon.Initial letter with a sheep on an altar
A woodcut depicting a preist dressed in the vestments described in Exodus 28, including an elaborate ephod and/or breastpiece, a long robe decorated with pomegranates and bells, and a decorated turban.Priestly Garments
A woodcut depicting the full layout of the Tabernacle court, including the altar of burnt offerings, the bronze laver, and the inner tent with the table, lampstand, altar of incense, and the Ark of the Covanent.Tabernacle Court Layout
A woodcut depicting one of the inner curtains of the Tabernacle, decorated with cherubim in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and displayed in the Tabernacle courtyard.Tabernacle's Inner Curtain
A woodcut depicting the acacia wood frames with silver bases for the tabernacle.Tabernacle Frame
A woodcut depicting the lampstand, table, and bread of presence surrounded by plates, jugs, and bowls.Lampstand and Table with Bread of Presence
A woodcut depicting the Ark of the Covanent with its lid decorated with two cherubim, and the Altar of Incense with a chalice of burning incense placed on it.Ark of the Covenant and Altar of Incense
A woodcut depicting the bronze laver for priestly washing (top), the altar of burnt offering made of acacia wood with four horns on its four corners (center), and the bronze implements for tending the altar (bottom).Altar of Burnt Offerings and Bronze Laver
A woodcut initial letter "D" depicting Jesus Christ transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John.Initial letter with the transfigured Christ
A woodcut depicting Joseph beside Pharaoh's bedside (top) explaining the meaning of his dream of seven fat and seven lean cows, and seven good and seven lean stalks, represents seven years of feast and famine that will come to Egypt.Joseph interprets Pharaoh's Dream
A woodcut depicting God blessing Jacob as he dreams, represented by three angels descending/ascending a ladder linking Heaven and Earth. Above the woodcut is a section of handwritten marginalia.Jacob's Dream
A woodcut depicting Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a show of faith to God and being stopped by an angel, who provides a ram (center left) for sacrifice in Isaac's place.Sacrifice of Isaac
A woodcut depicting Noah's Ark (Der Kaste Noe) safe and afloat amidst the torential rains (center). At the bottom of the image there is a field of fallen trees and dead people and animals left behind by the receeding waters. in the top left of the image there is a dove carrying an olive branch, signalling the receeding of the waters.Noah's Ark surviving the flood
A woodcut initial letter "A" depicting God creating the world. the arch of the "A" is made from a bent over plam tree.Initial letter with God creating the world
A woodcut initial letter "D" illustrated with the scene of Moses delivering his farewell discourse while God looks down from Heaven. Moses is depicted with horns, a common practice in Western art before the Renaissance.Initial letter with Moses delivering his farewell
A woodcut border to Luther's German translation of the Old Testament printed in 1523. The border is composed of one woodcut depicting an architectural arch supported by four columns, a gathering of cherubs (top and sides), and a group of worshipers (?) around a crucified Christ (bottom).Historiated title page border of Luther's German translation of the Old Testament

Citations and References

VD16B 2894

Local Call Number

1523 BIBL

Rights Statement

The online edition of this work in the public domain, i.e. not protected by copyright, has been produced by Pitts Theology Library.
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES

Institution

Emory University

Holding Repository

Pitts Theology Library

Sort Date

1523
a set of punctuation braces Download Metadata
Collection

Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection

The Richard C. Kessler Reformation Collection was established in 1987, when Richard and Martha Kessler donated their private collection of Reformation imprints and manuscripts to Emory University. These materials were combined with Reformation holdings at the Pitts Theology Library, and an effort was launched to enlarge and sustain this collection in the years to come. An advisory committee of Lutheran laypersons and clergy and of Candler School of Theology faculty and administrators oversees the nurture of the collection and its programs. The Reformation Notes newsletter provides semiannual updates on the growth of the collection, and the Reformation Day at Emory program of music and lectures each October celebrates the collection and its contributions to music, history, and theology. In the sixteenth century the social and theological movements of central Europe, known collectively as the Reformation, critically shaped religion, law, education and other institutions in the West, and their long shadow has extended even to the present. The purpose of the Kessler Collection is to document these changes by collecting print and manuscript materials down to 1570 by Martin Luther (1483-1546) and those whom he influenced or engaged in debate. In this way historians and theologians will be able to hear the full range of voices that were raised in this dynamic period. The holdings of the collection now exceed 4,000 items, a mark approximated by only two other libraries in North America; no American library approaches the Kessler Collection's 1,000+ publications by Luther himself.

Browse Collection