The Impact of the Word on the World - The Bible from print to computer (1450-2000) by Alan F. Jesson / United Bible Societies - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana / British and Foreign Bible Society 2000 / Paperback

Paperback 2000

ISBN: 9788823780361  /  978-8823780361

ISBN-10: 8823780365

PAGES: 26

PUBLISHER: British and Foreign Bible Society

LANGUAGE: English

English Summary:

The Manuscript Tradition

When, somewhere in the 3rd century before the birth of Jesus Christ, the author of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes wrote wearily “Of the making of many books there is no end” (chapter 12, verse 12, King James Version), we can easily forget that he was not referring to the familiar printed and bound book that we know today, a modern book is made up of sheets folded. stitched along one edge and cut on the other three. It is an easily portable object, sometimes plain, sometimes attractive and colourful. A book is such a convenient format that it is not easy for us to understand that it is effectively only since the start of the Christian era that the book form, or codex came into use. Before that, for at least 4,000 years before printing was invented, a wide variety of materials was used to convey information.

Wax tablets were good for temporary use. A special tool called a stylus was used to mark the wax. It could be made of wood, ivory, iron or silver, and was pointed at one end for writing and rounded at the other for erasing. But wax is not a durable medium. For permanent information clay tablets and pottery shards were preferred.