The Gutenberg Bible is the famous 15th-century book associated with Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press.
Produced in Mainz around 1454–1455, it is generally regarded as the first major book printed in Europe using movable metal type. The text is the Latin Vulgate Bible, and the surviving copies show a striking combination of mechanical printing and hand decoration.
Gutenberg’s achievement was not the invention of writing or of printing itself. Woodblock printing had existed in East Asia for centuries, and movable type had also been developed earlier in China and Korea. His major contribution was a practical European system combining durable metal type, oil-based ink, a press, and efficient production methods.
Around 180 copies of the Bible are thought to have been produced, mostly on paper with some on vellum. Fewer than 50 substantially complete copies survive, making the work one of the most valuable landmarks in the history of books.